Traveling, Anew

Tomorrow, I take my first flight in thirteen months and two days. The last was a flight from Toronto to Newark, on the last week I spent traveling for work before the world locked down. I still remember the flight, there was an uneasiness in the air, like we were all aware this was the end of something, the end of everything. That said, tomorrow won't feel too different. Something different is in the air, mainly because we see the light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe I'm overstating where we are in conquering the pandemic, but for me personally, post-vaccine, ready to at minimum see what America has to offer, I'm ready.

The best part of this upcoming five day trip to Arizona (Phoenix for 2 days, Sedona for 1, Grand Canyon for 1, and various traveling around for one) was the anticipation. That very much may not be true come Wednesday when I get up shaken out of my red-eye-attempting sleep. I hope it isn't, I hope I enjoy every aspect of this trip, this little relief in teh desert. But really, the planning has been so great.

It's been so long since I've planned a trip, created that AM/Lunch/PM/Dinner/Night spreadsheet to think of what things to hit when. So long since I've Googled "Best Restaurants in XXX" or "Best Beers Bars..." and on and on and on, redoubling back multiple times to ensure I haven't missed something. I'll be visiting a friend out there who's joining me on the desertified days on Sunday and Monday, and may traipse around town with me the other days. But the vacation was planned somewhat by me, running my suggestions by him, and getting a series of 'yeah, sure's' in return.

I wanted to take that on because planning a trip is the most invigorating part, even if there's a constant feeling of "what have I left off? and "how do I pick between all these cool places!". Of course, Covid does put a damper on some of this. Gone are teh EDM clubs, gone are the crowded bars - even post-vaccine I do want to stay somewhat safe. But in Phoenix lies the oasis of outdoor dining all the time which certainly helps.

For so much of my recent life, traveling has been a central facet that never lost importance. Whether it was traveling for work, week after week, or traveling for vacations. I gave up a senior spring semester to travel the wrold, something I chronicled in excruciating 105-pt detail on this blog eight years ago. More than maybe anything else, that trip and writing about it set the tone for this blog.

Traveling also defined the last year, well, in the lack of it. From teh starting point of canceling my trip to Korea, at first because I was afraid of the covid outbreak there (remember January, 2020, what a wild time!). Then it became cancelling all trips, being stuck at home for weeks, nearly crying seeing Newark Airport an empty husk of its former self. So much more. It was unavoidable that the urge to travel would slowly seep back in. I held it off for a long time, but no more. Traveling begins again, and the Phoenix is where my traveling will rise from its ashes.