Exactly one year has passed since the UK was plunged into the first lockdown and many of our lives have changed almost beyond recognition.
We wear masks, we keep our distance. We stay home most of the time, so we rarely see people. Much of our lives are lived online, our feeds a curious mix of doom, black humour and heart-rending messages of love. We cannot travel.
We cannot travel.
In the grand scheme of things, it’s a trivial thing. But for many of us in the Thelma & Louise community, travel was a lifeline. A way out of loneliness, a chance to connect with people or reinvent ourselves. Travel helped us get past painful life events such as bereavement and divorce – the sort of things that the pandemic has multiplied. We’ve needed travel to help us cope more than ever.
“We’ve probably learned more about ourselves in the last year than we have in the previous five years of travel. Be proud of yourselves!”
Now, we understand how vital it is to have something to look forward to. For so much of our lives, that glimmer on the horizon has been a vacation. Now it’s a vaccine, a way out of lockdown and this grim pandemic world.
It would have been easy to spend the last year clutching our passports to our hearts, curled into a ball on our dusty suitcases, weeping. But not us! We’ve done our best to stay active and stay positive. The achievements among the amazing ladies in the Thelma & Louise Club include exploring closer to home, getting fitter, volunteering and writing the first draft of a novel. But just getting through it mostly intact is something to be celebrated!
We’re still having adventures, but many of our journeys have been inwards. We’ve probably learned more about ourselves in the last year than we have in the previous five years of travel. Be proud of yourselves!
One of the things that Ana and I are most proud of is introducing the Thelma & Louise Facebook Live Lockdown Travel Chats, almost a year ago. We stepped waaaay out of our comfort zones – neither of us are comfortable in front of a camera! – but it’s been rewarding in so many ways. We’ve met 24 inspiring women and had countless fascinating conversations. Most importantly, we’ve loved your feedback and involvement. We hope you’ve enjoyed joining us for the ride! (And that we can get off it soon..)