Hello dear fellow road trippers!
It’s been a while since my last RTaW update report. Almost a year already. And boy did the World changed since then!
I hope you are all ok, navigating these uncertain times the best you can.
On my side, all is well. I really can’t complain, although as you can read below, I’m starting to feel 2020 is going to have a long term effect on my life.
A special note to the readers of RtatW who come here for the castles / cathedrals / museums / etc.
I’m sorry for all my latest articles about my motorcycle! We’ve made lots of progress on my Indian and I need to write about those while it is still fresh in my head. Days being only 24 hours, I can only do so much. Will resume asap to a more balanced schedule!
The good news is that the bike is pretty much finished so hopefully, there will be a point where articles on the renovation of the bike will be replaced by articles on new adventures with the bike!
Post-Covid World: back to normal?
It is impossible to imagine what the world will be like after this pandemic and at this point it’s even hard to imagine that there will be an after.
In one way, already now, a lot of people are going back to their normal lives, commuting, going back to the office, going back to restaurants and parties, too many parties it seems. They are cautiously organizing their summer vacation, closer to home because of travel restrictions… Behind these behaviors does lie a certain fear for most. Of course, some are reckless but I feel that most people seems to be keeping the appearance of ease but deep down, are still frighten. This return to normal feels like a grasp for air. One last summer of fun before it goes down to hell…
Bear in mind, I live in Europe, where things are not entirely back to normal but we are not longer in lockdown, at the time being at least.
In another way, behind the fear, lies a deeper understanding that things will not go back to normal. For a lot of people, going back to normal, is a way to get control over their lives, it’s the only way they know how. But there is a sense that the old normal is just a thing of the past. Something you can have the illusion to recreate but that won’t last.
It feels like a war on humans has started and is worsening
At the pick of the crisis in Europe, there were around 80,000 new cases per day. Two months later there are now something like 250,000 new cases per day Worldwide. So even in Europe, where we feel a bit more relaxed about it at the moment, and even if some are indeed a bit too relaxed about it, there lies beneath an understanding that things are not evolving for the best worldwide. There might even be a sense that we need to make the most of summer because sh*t is going to hit the fan after that.
What was normal?
It seems important to ask oneself what was this normal old World we are aiming to find again?
It feels like a mostly selfish world where we, collectively, abused the planet that host us & abused the other living species on it, to live our careless & selfish lives. A world where we, collectively, lived our days whiteout paying much attention to our choices. We took too many flights to explore this world, drove too many miles to get to our jobs, drank too many coffees, ate too much takeout in all sorts of disposable wrappings and bought too much stuff we had to donate or trash after a short while.
If we are part of the lucky ones, born on the right side of the poverty line.
As for others, all those choices we made were just no accessible or even imaginable. As other humans in this old World, were at best trying to survive and at worst being abused, fighting for their survival or dying of hunger or because of their poor living conditions.
The old world was divided, unbearable to some and enjoyable to a few. It was heading toward a wall and did end up hitting the wall.
Of course, on a personal level, we didn’t feel that way. If like me, you are part of the privileged few who have a job, financial security even if not millions in the bank, a roof over your head, etc… you probably don’t feel like it was that bad. Going back to this old world means going back to work & partially enjoying it, going back to restaurants, partying, seeing friends, going on vacation…
We are holding on to what we know, trying to get back to what was because it feels safe. Humans don’t like change but change is inevitable…
What does a post-Covid world looks like?
None of us really have any clue how to build a different world. Even if a lot of people dream of things being different & better. And even if we could find a clear and actionable path, it would be close to impossible to implement globally.
Obviously a lot of people will hang on to old models because they do not have a choice and these people include our politicians and leaders. So yeah, we’re not going to see significant changes anytime soon!
When discussing a post-Covid World, we shouldn’t just consider the health crisis but also the economic crisis in the making…
Because we are just seeing the beginning of the global recession that is looming
It is like seeing clouds forming in a gorgeous blue sky. Such clouds don’t look like much, at first, and you think your day is going to be fine. It takes a while before noticing that such clouds are getting darker and darker. You may still think at this point that it won’t get much worst, that the clouds will pass. But soon it’s too late, the sky is entirely dark and it is pouring rain. The storm is here. Well, this shall pass anyway, right? But it doesn’t, and it gets worst. It’s like a hurricane now, and damages start to occur, first in a distance from you, but then you start noticing damages right at your door.
And by the time the hurricane is done, because indeed there is always sunshine after a storm, you realize all the damages around you and it looks terrible and it’s scary.
The financial crisis which is coming is like a hurricane. It is starting to rain, maybe in a distance from you. But soon it will be pouring around us all.
Maybe this will be the last straw which will lead to real changes. Maybe it won’t.
So since I don’t have a crystal ball, I can’t tell you what our post-Covid world will look like. But I don’t think it is going to be fun, at least for a while…
What does post-Covid travel looks like?
Let me first start by saying that we, as a whole, are not likely going to jet off to the over side of the world to go on vacation anytime soon.
Some people will probably do so, but I very much doubt they will truly appreciate their destination, and that they will repeat the experience often after, this first attempt. Taking a plane is going to be highly stressing. Getting in a country where you have to wonder how many sick people you crossed path with, going to a restaurant wondering if the waiter washed his hand, frenetically disinfecting your hotel room or else, is going to kill all the joy you felt before going on vacation. Even if you don’t feel that way, even if you deny it, you probably wonder, in the back of your head.
That’s just my point of view. I certainly have no intention to take a plane anytime soon.
So what does this lack of exotic destinations in our travel plans mean:
Local travel: We’ll all probably going to travel more locally. Exploring our own backyards. Seeking excitement in local events.
Staycation: With local travels comes the ability to sleep in our own bed which feels like a much safer alternative nowadays.
Seeking nature: A lot of people are going to want to be surrounded by nature, forests, silence, space & peace.
Simplicity: renting a charming little house in the middle of nowhere is going to sound much more appealing than renting an apartment in a big city.
Outdoor activities: camping, hiking, cycling, rock climbing, kayaking, picnicking… any activity which is outdoor and where you can keep your distance from other people will probably be favored.
Outdoor dining / entertainment: All things outdoor will be favored including having a drink or diner on a terrace rather than inside. Outdoor museums & parks will feel safer than indoors one as well.
Road trips: of course, a lot of people are going to consider road tripping! Because there is no better way to keep your distance! Yes, I’m biased!
These trends are already showing, for some of us, like in Europe, at lease. But it will last for a while, it isn’t a tendency that will disappear as the hurricane is just starting.
And this leads us to the question I’ve been pondering for a while now…
What does a post-Covid travel blog look like?
Bloggers have always been told to go niche. To a lot of them it meant focusing on solo travel, travel with kids or something like that but across the globe. It’s probably going to change!
Post-Covid travel blogs are probably going to shift a bit. It won’t be noticeable straight away as many bloggers have back logs of stuff to talk about, but it will probably shift to adapt to the new travel trends.
However, there are probably going to be a lot of opportunities to get paid to travel to exotic destinations, by places eager to attract tourists again. And I’m guessing that there will be quite a few travel bloggers ready to accept such offers and take the risks.
Quite a few bloggers, who used to fly around, are going to take road trips and talk about their experience, just like people who have eaten vegan food for a week do. It’s already here.
Overall, bloggers will adapt because they are used to adapting to an ever changing environment (platforms, regulations, social medias..) but it will get harder and harder to be heard.
What will RTatW look like?
Short answer? I don’t know!
Longer answer:
Having said all of the above, just like many others, I still can’t figure out what to do next. So for now, I will hold on to my old models and keep RTatW as it is.
I already talk a lot about road trips, obviously! Sooo on trend!!
I’ve talked a lot about hiking, camping and outdoor things, although I do not do rock climbing any more! Again so on trend! 😂
At one point or another, I’ll resume visiting castles although I may focus indeed on open air museums, Roman ruins, gardens or just natural reserves and parks.
However, for a while now, on a personal level, I’ve been focused on simple living. I did a depth year and a year long no-buy challenge which changed a lot of things for me. And the renovation of my Indian Scout motorcycle has profoundly changed me as well, in ways I’m just starting to acknowledge.
So, I think that, even I don’t completely realize it yet, these changes will show around here. These will be infused in what I do and I what I write about. We shall all see where this takes us!
I just came back from a week of ‘vacation’, which I spent at my dad’s place. This time I had my tent with me and set it up in the field across the street. I didn’t thing I would sleep there the whole week but I did! And I slept so well and my morning coffees, watching the sun set, were a blessing!
Simple living indeed!
*****
I wish you a quiet & safe summer filled with new experiences and maybe some mind blowing revelations!
