On This Day in History: Reflections on Two Strange Years

Some weeks I have more time and ideas for the blog than I know what to do with, while other times I’m either scratching my head for blog topics or searching frantically for the time to get it done. This week, it’s a little bit of both.

When I’m looking for a new blog topic, I always search to see whether there is a culinary significance to the day (hmmmm, National Ranch Dressing day did not inspire me!) or a historical significance.

And wow. Tomorrow is the two year anniversary of the World Health Organization declaring COVID-19 a pandemic.

Two years since school closed and my kids were sent home to try remote learning.

Two years since the office closed, we started working from home, and I parked myself on the living room sofa.

Two years since travel came to a grinding halt.

Travel in 2020

I have to say, for those of us who work in the travel industry, the pandemic came earlier than March 11, 2020. Particularly for those of us who work heavily in Italy, there were signs of trouble already in February. As COVID-19 spread in the north, our clients started returning home early, while other spring travelers put off their trips.

From there things steamrolled until… well, you know the story. We don’t need to recap what the past two years have been like. In the world of international travel, it was the hardest single period in memory, and part of what made it so hard was that it lasted so long.

Travel in 2022

So what about now? Well, the reason I had trouble finding time for the blog this week is that we have been so very, gloriously busy!

Travel is back.

For the first time, we really feel like things have returned – at least for now – to pre-pandemic rhythms. We have so many clients inquiring about and booking trips, so many getting ready to travel, that the past two weeks have been a whirlwind.

Popular spots? The Amalfi Coast. Tuscany. Greece. Portugal. Scotland. Spain. Provence. Paris. All the usual suspects as travel picks up again.

It has only been within the past couple of weeks that ALL of our culinary destinations have reopened to travel!

In Conclusion: Plan Now

With two years of postponements, two years of people putting off travel, and two years not only of frustration but of learning the value of seizing the moment, one thing is clear: don’t wait to plan your trip. We still have availability, especially if you have some flexibility, but many places are filling up fast .

If you’re ready to start planning the trip you’ve been dreaming of, give us a call. We’re ready to help!

By Peg Kern

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