Wise Woman Travel

Since the coronavirus locked down many aspects of life as we used to know it, especially the ability to travel, I’ve noticed that the media has frequently tapped travel guru Rick Steves on the shoulder for a few words of hope about when we might get off the ground again.

In early August, The Atlantic published “I’m traveling even though I’m stuck at home,” an interview in which Steves talks about exploring his home state of Washington with the wonder and curiosity of a first time visitor. In late October, travelpulse.com shared Steves’ remarks to the virtual audience of The Travel and Adventure Show Series. As the pandemic grinds on and the virus wears down everyone but itself, Steves reassured the audience that “we are going to be able to travel in the future, but we just have to be a little patient right now, and a little community-minded,” working together and building bridges to make the world a better place.

Steves’ August to October progression from travelling wide-eyed in his own state, to considering how to transfer his travel motivation to his own community resonated strongly with me. Back in July, I started a series of blog posts on my tiny treks and travels around my own city and province. At first, it was fun, but, to be frank, I ran out of gas with writing about these local sojourns. Like Steves, when I travel, it’s the connections I make with others that I love, marveling at our similarities and appreciating our differences. I try to transfer a little of what I’ve learned into who I am and how I behave when I return home. And these tiny treks and travels just weren’t bringing me enough of those deeply satisfying people connections .

So what to do? How to be patient until I can travel again? How to build connections and be community-minded while I’m waiting for the wider world to reopen?

The answer? Start new conversations. Build virtual bridges. Begin a new website.

As I looked at how I’ve traveled while I’ve been stuck at home for the last eight months, it’s been through interior journeys – taking courses, reading, writing, learning new skills – and reaching out to others. I want to do more of that and I want you to come along with me as I launch my new website pamelayoung.ca.

The website is part online CV (my job got caught in the crossfire between COVID closures and brutal provincial government funding cuts to Alberta postsecondary institutions) and part blog, where I’ll write about some of my other passions besides travel – education, literacy, writing, and the arts. If you share my interest in any of those topics, I’ll look forward to seeing you over there.

I’m not planning to abandon Wise Woman Travel. I just needed to spread my wings a bit while we’re mostly still grounded.

Hope to see you as I begin this new (ad)venture.