Hey Nerds,
Let’s talk disappointment and wanderlust. My #1 Nerd and I had plans to visit Panama in April. If COVID-19 wasn’t our new normal, we’d currently be in Panama City enjoying our last full day in Panama. We had plans to see the sites, visit the canal, and hunt down local craft beer. Instead, Hyatt proactively cancelled our hotel reservation because Panama closed its borders to non-resident foreigners in mid-March. Thankfully, American refunded our miles for the award tickets we had booked and the small fee for booking. All in all, we’re out nothing but the experience and opportunity to see more of the world.
And you know what, that’s what I’m struggling with the most…losing out on experiences and not seeing the world.
I’m not going to lie to you all, there was a longer break between my last post and this one because I was bummed. Not quite depressed, just bummed. I knew we were supposed to fly out last Friday and make the most of holidays and a combined business trip to minimize the number of vacation days I’d have to take. We’re supposed to have another new country knocked off our list and have seen the Panama Canal. But, we’re not in Panama. We’re safe at home and blessed that we can work from home. AND thankfully we like each other’s faces and enjoy each other’s company. Not getting to travel is a first world problem and I’ll own that. So many people are struggling to make ends meet, find food to put on their table, or fighting for their lives. That’s a healthy dose of perspective.
But you know what, it’s OK to grieve the loss of something you were excited about. Even if it’s first world or boujee. Travel is a big part of my life. We’ve visited over 20 countries in the last 12 years and each trip has helped us expand our understanding of the world. There was the time we were in Jerusalem while there were riots and our tour guide expertly navigated us safely through the city. Or the time we got a ride from a complete stranger in Auckland who gave us a tour of the city while driving us to our hotel from the airport. Or the time we met police dogs in the Andes in Chile with snow goggles and snow booties. Travel is good for the mind, body, and soul. (OK, maybe don’t take rides from strangers. That worked out way better than it could have…)
So that leaves me with wanderlust. A deep and desperate desire to travel. The call of places new or old, familiar or not. Even if you haven’t traveled abroad, I’m guessing many, if not all, of you have traveled somewhere within your own state/province or country. There’s the small town where your grandparents live that you visited every summer or the big city your family visited to take you to a ballgame/museum/landmark/insert special site. There’s the school trips, the bachelor(ette) parties, weddings, summer camps, or conferences you went to in [insert city] that exposed you to the sites, tastes, and experiences of somewhere that wasn’t home. Good or bad, they changed you. Even if it’s you now you HATE that one restaurant in Pittsburgh. You never would have known that!
Fun Fact: I visited Pittsburgh for my 35th birthday and it was lovely. It’s a hip, thriving and really effing cool. Like SUPER cool. The three bridges are bright “Aztec Gold” and charming. The Warhol Museum is superb and engaging. We stayed at a Historic Hotel of America, the Omni William Penn Hotel, which was gorgeous. And the craft beer was [insert chef’s kiss emoji]. Southern Tier Brewing has a location right near PNC Park and the outdoor seating area was chill and comfortable. Plus they gave me complimentary birthday crowler. (I cannot guarantee they will give you one. They waitress was just incredibly nice.) Also, fully aware that Southern Tier is a NY brewery. Does not change the fact that they have a baller location in Pittsburgh.Des
To help combat your wanderlust, I want to share some travel-related shows that we watch and totally nerd out over. Hopefully this can help you get through what’s left of our stay-in-place/self-isolation/quarantine.
- Expedition Unknown: Hosted by Josh Gates (@joshuagates), follow him around the world as he investigates legends and hunts for treasure (both shiny and archaeological). The most recent season just ended (boooo!), but you can catch reruns or episodes on demand with the Discovery App. Plus, every single season is available for purchase on Amazon. Favorite episode: Season 4, Episode 8, Nazis in Argentina
- Destination Truth: An oldy but a goody, also hosted by Josh Gates and also available for purchase on Amazon. We’re big Josh Gates fans. We once flew from Texas to Pennsylvania to see him give a talk. Again, travel junkies. In this show, Josh and his team investigate paranormal activity and weird sightings around the world. Bigfoot? Check! Chupacabra? Check! Ghosts at Chernobyl? Check! Haunted forests? Multiple checks! Not for the faint of heart or easily scared, but it’s not your cut and dry travel show.
Creepiest episode: Season 3, Episode 1, Haunted Forest - Curious Traveler: Airing on PBS, but also available via Amazon Prime, follow host Christine van Blokland (@curioustravTV) as she travels asking who, what, where, why, and how about sites seen around the world. She does a monstrously good job at tying all of the sites she visits in an episode together in a cohesive narrative. As she puts it, this isn’t your ordinary vacation travel show. You’re gonna learn, dammit. (My words.)
Best Episode: Season 2, Episode 5, Loire Valley, France - Lost Cities with Albert Lin: Another off-the-beaten path, adventure show, host Albert Lin (@exploreralbert) takes viewers to lost cities and utilizes hi-tech archaeology to assist local archaeologists in discovering new aspects of a city. There’s only one season, and I’m only 3 shows in, but the camera work is beautifully done and the technology used is pretty interesting stuff. Drones! LIDAR! VR! This National Geographic show is available via Disney+ and gives you something else to watch while we wait for the next season The Mandalorian. I’m only 3 episodes in, but my favorite so far:
Episode 1, Fortress of the Knights Templar - Rick Steves’ Europe: This is a solid travel show for someone who wants something a little more familiar for their future travel planning/dreaming. Rick Steves (@RickSteves) knows what he’s doing–he’s built a business around travel with a TV show, guide books, a blog, travel forum, store, and tours. His show is perfect if you want to see the highlights of a destination, learn some useful travel tips, and feel inspired to get out there and travel. You can watch almost 10 seasons on Hulu (for some reason it’s missing season 1 and part of season 2).
Special episodes: Season 5, Episodes 13 & ` 14, Iran
So that’s it, nerds. If you’re anything like me, you’re getting restless and ready to leave your home for more than just a to-go run from a distillery/brewery/restaurant or a drive-thru run at CVS. Until we can leave again and hit the sky, enjoy travel vicariously through these shows (or whichever get you excited about travel!) and dream big. And remember, it’s OK to be bummed if your travel plans are cancelled or put on hold. You’re not alone and we’ll get back out there together soon.
If you need me, I’m just here in my living room reading this:
Cheers,
Head Nerd