The Well Traveled Path: Contingency Plans in the Face of Uncertainty

The start of 2022 feels less celebratory this year as the world grapples with another surge of COVID-19 cases. All of the traditions and rituals of resolution and goals are muted. Many new, variant-induced scenarios played out during your holiday season: cancelled travel plans, an unexpected road trip, or getting stuck somewhere longer than intended. But if 2021 taught us anything, it is to always have a contingency plan in our back pocket. 

The next 6-8 weeks of this new year will prove to be a challenging time for all. The Omicron variant is spreading quickly and likely to peak mid-January in the US. With new cases surging, the disruption of our lives will be evident again. It will be the third year of this pandemic and even the most optimistic among us are feeling the fatigue of it all. The stress of dealing with the acute changes — new regulations, statistics, and alerts ⁠— on top of the chronic, steady backdrop of what the last 2 years, will test our patience and tax our mental wellbeing. 

What are your tried-and-true ways to rest, reconnect, and restore? Whatever it may be, I hope it incorporates the type of exploration that helps to stimulate your senses. As we learn to live through the various phases of this new virus, our mental wellbeing requires attention as well. The benefits of exploration - a hike in nature, a drive through the countryside, or an escape to a retreat - will be long-lasting. Travel as a remedy for stress is tried and true. Yes, it requires a bit more planning now, but certainly use it as a means to disconnect. 

The travel industry is adopting the work and play approach. A recent WSJ article highlighted the trend of working vacations, which may be here to stay. I am hopeful for 2022. Our lives are not going back to what they were, because in many ways, this pandemic taught us the lesson of having balance in our day-to-day lives. When our focus is less on case numbers, changing regulations, and cancelled plans - we will hopefully have incorporated new habits in our eating, fitness, sleep, and a renewed sense to explore. Let us reset.