You will spend two to three months locked in your home this spring.
This sounds like a cursed message from a rancid fortune cookie. But it turned into reality for all of us, and we have spent all this time inside our homes, to save the lives of those in our communities. But that doesn’t mean you don’t miss travelling, we all do. We’ve been doing some virtual travel and soaking up culture from the couch, but it’s not quite like the real thing.
We miss the rush of packing our luggage the night before jumping on a plane.
We even miss the aeroplane food, if only we could munch on a stale sandwich gazing out the window into the clouds.
We miss the euphoria of stepping into a city never before seen.
We don’t know when we will get to see our family and friends. That Easter getaway went down the drain. That surprise birthday city break – cancelled. However, one thing kept us positive and hopeful throughout this time. It was staying connected with our loved ones through technology.
Technology helped us stick as much as possible to our real-life routines. Most of us continued to work, fully supported by only an internet connection. We’ve kept up with yoga or virtual spinning sessions online, we’ve learned how to make those tasty recipes online; we’ve signed up for that course we always wanted to do – online.
And most importantly, we were able to stay in touch with our loved ones with the help of technology once again. Grandmothers and nonnas and Omas around the world learned how to use Zoom and other video chat tools. Parents who preferred the traditional phone calling gave in to videos in the past several weeks, missing their children a little too much.
Technology helped us throughout these times of imposed separation. And technology will help us reconnect with our family and friends in real life. We are about to start travelling again, counting down the days, and technology will make planning and booking easier. From searching for a flight or a train to take across the country, to finding a hotel for that overdue birthday city break, technology is once again by our side.
Travel makes exploring, sharing and connecting better. Travel makes life better. And technology makes travel better. It’s time to reconnect!
