@Liv I'm currently sitting in an Airbnb house in a dreamy coastal town called Busselton in Western Australia. I have my family with me which comprises of my wife and two lovely kids aged nearly five and three. We head back home the day after tomorrow after three weeks of holidays and an extended road trip. To be able to do this amid all the uncertainty and turmoil that exists around the world is nothing short of a miracle. The pandemic and its after-effects have made me realise just how much we had taken for granted all of the simple joys of travelling - the uneventful check-ins, the crowded airports, the uncensored handshakes and hugs, the unhindered transits across countries and continents, and the social interactions which added so much colour to every journey. We have been extremely fortunate in WA to have a semblance of normalcy and I am grateful for the ability to have a holiday and enjoy some time off with the family when the rest of the world is still dealing with Covid-19.
I know in my heart that we will overcome this pandemic together. My only hope is that while it has increased the separation between people and nations in the short term and has introduced us to terms such as social distancing, hard borders, quarantining, in the long term we will all come together as a human race - to fight this disease, to find strength in unity, to share our grief and to march forward into a new future.
I wish everyone safe travels and a bright and rewarding 2021.
Best,
Jason