FIVE GOOD THINGS THAT HAPPENED AS A RESULT OF 2020
Instead of focusing on how bad 2020 was for everyone, I thought I would share some positives from a year that resembled a zombie apocalypse. I am not saying it wasn’t a horrible year and that we don’t still have a long road ahead of us, but I’m sure everyone can find some good in 2020.
People who travel by choice tend to be optimists. I feel you would have to be in order to keep choosing to do it. When you’re traveling, things go wrong all the time. Flights are delayed or canceled, you might find a body under the mattress at your hotel, you might get chased by a bear, plans don’t always go as planned, but travelers go with the flow and adapt to the situation.
Some good things happened as a result of all the horror that I feel are good for everyone and not just those of us who like to wander. Here are five of those things:
Employers can no longer say that their companies can’t function virtually. (Of course, there are exceptions like restaurants, etc.) I’m not saying that some persistent employers won’t try to create another excuse, but after working remotely for almost a year it’s hard to say it can’t happen. I’m not advocating that every business should go virtual, as there are people who prefer to work in an office, I’m just advocating for some flexibility for those who would like that option. Employers should keep in mind that happy employees are productive employees.
Many have now realized they can work from anywhere. Even if one has no desire to travel, you should be excited by the options now opening up to you. You may not want to live in a big city, you might hate the cold, you might want to live by the ocean, well now those are all situations that can now be easily sorted out by working remotely. Even for something as simple as attending a friend’s wedding in another city. Instead of rushing out Friday night to catch a flight and arriving with barely any time to spend with anyone or get any sleep because you have to rush back Sunday completely exhausted to get to work Monday morning, now you can leave Thursday when flights are cheaper, maybe even get together with some friends on Thursday and Friday evening, get proper amounts of sleep, then leave Sunday or Monday morning and work from home, then go into the office on Tuesday more refreshed. You would still be working during the day on Thursday and Friday, but doesn’t that sound like a much better experience?
We all pack way too much into our lives and often beat ourselves up for not keeping in touch with friends and family. This pandemic has forced us all to slow down and evaluate what’s important in our lives and which connections are valuable. So many people pass through our lives, and this last year has hopefully shown you who your real friends are and what truly makes you happy.
Too many of us have used the excuse of not having enough time to avoid pursuing our dreams. Now you’re forced to realize that if you still haven’t done that thing that you wanted to do, it wasn’t because you didn’t have time, it was because you lacked motivation. So find another excuse, or just do it.
We now have lots of time to plan our next trips. Many travelers I’ve spoken to are looking to be more creative when choosing their destinations. Instead of going to the same places as all the Instagram models out there (yes, I’m looking at you, Bali) they’re looking to create and plan meaningful trips instead of doing the travelers’ version of keeping up with the Joneses.
Do you have anything to add to my list? Do you agree with my list?