Hello, I’m Vanessa, and I’m very glad you have stopped by my little corner of the internet. I’m here to share my travels with you. I hope you will be entertained, informed, and hopefully inspired to take some travels of your own.
Why would you want to read about my journeys?
Maybe you’re young, and just starting out on the world, looking to have your first big adventure. It can be a scary prospect, so I hope you find some comfort in getting yourself prepared by reading someone else’s advice.
Maybe you’re researching a place that I mention, and this blog turns up in a keyword search for said destination. Welcome! I hope I can shed some light on your research as I once learned from others.
Maybe you’re a friend or family member of mine who is just here to support me. Thank you for that, too! You’ve likely heard all of my stories and seen the photos from my adventures. Perhaps you have even joined me! In that case, I am happy to help you re-live our adventures.
Whatever the reason for your visit, I’m grateful that you’re here. It’s June 2020. The world is a funny place right now, we’re in the midst of a global Coronavirus pandemic, and life as we’ve known it has been drastically altered. People are getting ill by the millions, and not everyone recovers. It’s heartbreaking, and mysterious, and all of the experts are working non-stop to bring it under control. Everyone has a part to play. Research, treatment, protection from the medical and scientific realms, keeping the essentials going for everyone to survive, following the standards set forth to protect ourselves and others, and in the case of many, just simply staying home is the best way to do your part.
The staying home part is what has prompted this whole idea of mine. If you know me, you know that I have just completed my college education in the field of travel and tourism. For the past two years I have been training for a new career in this industry. I wanted to be a travel agent, working to create wonderful experiences for people in far off lands, or even in their own backyard. I wanted to be a tour operator, guiding groups around the most interesting places I can find. I also wanted to be a writer, sharing my knowledge of the places I’ve been, and researching the places I want to go next. Maybe even compiling that information in guidebook form, who knows?
Alas, thousands of planes are grounded. Borders are closed. Cruise ships are docked. Hotels and restaurants are closed. Many tourist attractions and businesses are shut down. Lockdowns are in place, sometimes entire countries. We are not allowed to go out. We are not allowed to socialize with anyone we don’t live under the same roof with. We must wear masks and stay six feet apart if we have to do any essential shopping or errands. These are hardly the conditions in which a brand new college graduate can get their new career up and running. Two of my three wishes just aren’t possible at the moment. There is no known timeline for these restrictions to be eased or lifted. So, here I am with the one wish I can do something about. The one wish I can make come true for myself. The one that makes me feel like I can still be useful in an industry that has been put on pause. I can write. And I shall write. I hope you will join me.
xo,
Ness
