One can never compare loss of family or friends to mourning for travel. Personal losses stay deep in our hearts. Mourning for travel is also real. Travel can be such an important source of joy, that its loss must also be mourned in 5 stages.
Let’s start this conversation with a comment by British author, CS Lewis. “No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear”. Today we are scared along with mourning. Are we going thru the 5 stages of mourning?
Denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.
Denial: At first we thought the situation might be temporary. After all our President stated this fact. We read about Northern Italy then Washington State. We felt immune. Borders shut and airports closed. Denial did not last.
Anger: Once realizing we might not be able to travel, some travelers reacted with anger. The effects on their travels became personal not global. Many lost jobs; every traveler has lost money. Anger was easier than planning or accepting.
Bargaining: tour operators tell you the angry client will first ask, then demand, then bargain, then threaten. This unpleasant slope is more about the person than about the pandemic. It is alas, one of the 5 stages.
Depression: most of us are home disappointed, even depressed and in fact mourning for travel. Travel companies seem to be unstable. We know some are barely alive. Credit cards and insurance failed us. What amount of bread making can replace seeing Taj at sunrise? Is our future travel life one of driving to a suburban mall?
Acceptance: Travelers are not there yet. They must move forward, a different journey. They will accept that suppliers adapt.Accept the fact that suppliers truly care about travel; most are in the business for joy not money. There will be innovative safe ways to travel and a vaccine to add to that list of others we happily get when we travel. Those being dishonest now, will never be accepted.
The Future: Readers: Do not feel guilty about mourning for travel. Dreaming travel does not mean you don’t care for the many sick and many lost. Joy is part of life we all deserve, and will have again. Travel arrangements might be different but equally joyous.
My mother lived through the Pandemic of 1919. At 90 she talked about losing her playmate to Spanish flu. She recalled bodies removed from Baltimore row houses. She talked about knitting bandages in WW1 She shared gut wrenching worry for brothers in WW2.
She was not famous like CS Lewis. But her simple advice works:
Everything passes. We slowly forget. We move on to a new chapter.
Stay in touch with The Women’s Travel Group for trips planned for later in 2020 and many more in 2021.
We remain joyous and wish to share that with you.
Phyllis is at this email or 646 39 5607.
Facebook with reviews is here.
Youtube with casual videos is here.
