Travel should be regarded as a fundamental aspect of human life.
Travel isn’t logical, yet it’s ingrained in our DNA. This is the reason you ought to begin organizing your next journey today.
In 1961, renowned National Geographic photographer Volkmar Wentzel photographed two women looking out at the waves near Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia. Every picture featured in this narrative, including this one, is sourced from the National Geographic image archive.
Lately, I’ve found some creative uses for my passport. It works perfectly as a coaster and stabilizes uneven table legs. It also doubles as a great toy for my cat.
Welcome to the era of letdowns. Trips called off, or those never even scheduled for fear of cancellation. Gatherings with loved ones, overseas study programs, relaxed seaside getaways. Vanished. Wiped out by a microscopic pathogen and the lengthy roster of nations barring entry to U.S. passport holders.
Just one-third of Americans report having taken an overnight leisure trip since March, with only 38% indicating they might do so before the year ends, as per a recent study. Merely 25% intend to travel for Thanksgiving, traditionally the peak season for trips. These figures highlight the stark reality of our largely stagnant routines.
Being this sedentary goes against our nature. Movement is ingrained in our DNA. Throughout the majority of human history, “we’ve survived as wandering hunter-gatherers, traveling in tight-knit groups of around 150 individuals or fewer,” as Christopher Ryan explains.Progress Perished at Civilization’s HandsThis wandering lifestyle was no coincidence. It served a purpose. “Relocating to a nearby group is always a viable choice to escape rising tensions or simply for a shift in social surroundings,” explains Ryan. Robert Louis Stevenson phrased it more plainly: “The important thing is to keep moving.”
What if we’re stuck and can’t move? What if hunting becomes impossible?orWhat should a traveler do when they gather? The options are plentiful. However, “despair” is not among them.
This 1967 aerial shot captures countless beachgoers lounging beneath umbrellas or sprawled on towels along Ocean City, Maryland’s shoreline.
The 1967 autumn celebration in Guadalajara featured performers in traditional attire, including musicians and dancers.
Humans are remarkably adaptable. Short spans of enforced stillness can be endured. A touch of self-deception doesn’t hurt—we convince ourselves we aren’t stuck, just temporarily untraveled, like a salesperson awaiting their next venture. We fill the hours flipping through past travel notes and scrolling photo feeds, staring at keepsakes. It works. For a time.
We wear masks of courage. “Staycation Nation,” the headline on the latest edition ofThe Canadian TravellerThe magazine proclaims brightly, as though it were an option rather than a comfort.
Today, the U.S. Travel Association, the trade group representing the industry, is introducing a nationwide revival effort titled “Let’s Go There.” Supported by a partnership of tourism-related businesses—including hotels, convention and visitor bureaus, and airlines—the campaign aims to motivate Americans to transform their dormant desire to travel into concrete plans.
The travel sector is struggling, and travelers are feeling the impact. “I fixated on my frustration to the point where it nearly caused physical pain,” said Joelle Diderich, a journalist based in Paris, after calling off five trips earlier this spring.
(Related: What impact has the coronavirus had on the travel sector? These graphs reveal the answer.)
James Hopkins, my friend and a Buddhist residing in Kathmandu, might seem like someone who would flourish during the lockdown—a kind of enforced meditation retreat. Initially, he managed well.
During a recent Skype conversation, James appeared weary and disheartened. He admitted to feeling increasingly restless, yearning for his former routine of visiting ten countries annually. “Nothing made a difference,” he shared. “Despite lighting countless candles, burning ample incense, and residing in one of South Asia’s most revered locations, I still couldn’t break my old patterns.”
After we hung up, a sense of relief washed over me, my irritability justified. It’s not my fault—it’s the pandemic. Yet anxiety crept in. If even a Buddhist in Kathmandu is losing patience, what chance do the rest of us, frozen in place, stand?
I believe hope is woven into the essence of travel. To travel is to embrace desire and possibility. It requires both faith and creativity to step onto a plane bound for a distant place, yearning for a glimpse of the indescribable. Travel stands apart as one of the rare endeavors where we willingly embrace the unknown and find joy in its unpredictability. The most forgettable journeys are those that unfold without a single surprise.
Vintage photographs capturing the elegance of travel in bygone eras
Travel is far from a logical pursuit. There’s little reason to cram into a so-called seat and be propelled at terrifying speeds to a far-off destination where the language and customs are unfamiliar—all while spending a small fortune. If we paused to weigh the pros and cons, we’d likely stay put. But we don’t.
This is why I remain optimistic about the future of travel. I believe travel is a vital industry and a fundamental human activity. It’s not essential in the same way hospitals or supermarkets are, but rather like books and embraces—nourishment for the spirit. At this moment, we’re pausing between journeys, reflecting on past adventures and dreaming of future ones. Whether it’s Zanzibar or the local campsite you’ve been meaning to explore, the possibilities await.
(Related: Planning a fall camping trip? Here’s your beginner’s guide.)
James Oglethorpe, an experienced traveler, is content to pause for a moment and observe “the gradual shift of light and clouds across the Blue Ridge Mountains” in Virginia, his home. “My imagination can carry me the rest of the distance around this planet and farther.”
The magic lies not in the location itself but in what we contribute to it and, most importantly, how we engage with it. Travel isn’t merely about the endpoint or the route taken. It’s about discovering “a new way of seeing,” as Henry Miller once noted. A shift in outlook doesn’t require venturing to distant places.
Henry David Thoreau understood this better than anyone, spending almost his entire brief life in Concord, Massachusetts. He studied Walden Pond from every possible angle: atop hills, along its edges, and beneath its surface. At times, he would even tilt forward and gaze upside down through his legs, captivated by the reversed landscape. “With the right perspective, every storm and each raindrop becomes a rainbow,” he observed.
Thoreau never grew weary of admiring his cherished pond, just as we still appreciate the understated charm of our unassuming, analog world. If anything, the pandemic has reignited our fondness for it. We’ve glimpsed the isolation of a fragmented, digital life, and the majority of us find it unappealing. The stands at Chicago’s Wrigley Field, the seats in New York City’s Lincoln Center’s orchestra section, the narrow lanes of Tokyo—we long for these spaces. We are beings tied to place, and that will never change.
Following the events of September 11, numerous forecasts suggested the decline of air travel or, at the very least, a significant downturn. However, the airline industry recovered steadily, reaching an unprecedented milestone in 2017 by carrying four billion passengers. Temporarily stripped of the marvel of flying, we grew to value it more deeply. Now, we accept the hassles of security scans and physical checks as the price for the extraordinary ability to travel vast distances, allowing us to share meals and moments with fellow human beings in distant corners of the world.
In 1955, landscape architects operate from their studio located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In 1956, a visitor captures an image of a massive century plant in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
As we eagerly re-engage with global travel, it’s crucial to recognize the effects of mass tourism on the environment. This is the moment to adopt the core principles of sustainable tourism and let them shape your upcoming adventures. Venture beyond popular routes. Extend your stays in locations. Choose to travel during quieter periods. Engage with local cultures and direct your spending toward supporting residents. Think about investing in carbon offsets. Above all, keep in mind that the essence of exploration lies in celebrating the diversity that adds vibrancy to our world.
“Travel offers the incredible advantage of connecting with new individuals and encountering diverse perspectives,” remarks Pauline Frommer, travel expert and radio host.
Feel free to start organizing your next getaway. According to researchers, it’s beneficial for your well-being. The act of planning a journey can be almost as satisfying as the trip itself. Simply imagining a delightful experience brings its own joy. The excitement of looking forward is rewarding on its own.
I’ve experienced the electric thrill of travel excitement myself. My wife, who typically isn’t drawn to travel photography, has lately been scrolling endlessly through Instagram, mesmerized by images of Alpine chalets and Balinese terraces. “What’s up with this?” I inquired. “They’re utterly enchanting,” she said. “They remind me how vast and stunning the world truly is.”
Many of us, myself among them, have treated travel as something expected. We became complacent and spoiled, which is never beneficial. Tom Swick, a friend and travel writer, shares that he once considered travel a certainty. Now, he remarks, “I anticipate embracing it as a privilege.”
Associated Subjects
- TRAVEL
- CAPTURING THE WORLD THROUGH TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY
- TIMELESS PHOTOGRAPHY
- PSYCHOLOGY
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