February was not a good month for any kind of travel. Between Omicron, frequent cancellations and closings, and the weather I didn’t get too far. However, it was a good month for thinking about traveling and what might be next on the horizon!

Granted, the last two years have been anything but normal in the travel industry. But that didn’t keep me from reading other peoples’ travel blogs and learning more about myself as a traveler and blogger. One of the first things I noticed was that, unlike many nomads, I don’t have (or even want) a specific travel partner. Instead, I venture out with whoever I hope will be the best match for the kind of trip I’m interested in taking. Luckily, I have a plethora of friends and family to choose from, each with a different skill set and perspective to bring to my latest adventure.

For example, Tammy is my camping, road trip buddy. She doesn’t like to fly but she does like the outdoors, driving backroads, and discovering things or meeting people that more traditional travelers might dismiss as “weird”. We’re also able to have deep conversations about any topic or entertain ourselves for hours-she with her photography and me with my writing. Now that we’re older we occasionally splurge on a hotel to bookend the camping but we still manage to be pretty rustic!

My sister is my international travel companion of choice. She’s a jetsetter, who knows how to deal efficiently with the details of organizing a seamless vacation. And she doesn’t mind flying halfway across the world to do it! Her preference is higher-end vacations with lots of physical activity-walking, biking, hiking, and multiple water activities. We stay in boutique hotels and eat fancier meals paired with exotic cocktails. And we laugh a lot-in fact we’ve joked that tour companies could (and should!) hire us as their “fun specialists”!

Another frequent travel companion of choice is my husband who falls somewhere in between the first two. He’s just as happy driving as flying and equally enjoys an afternoon at a museum or walking the beach. He’ll eat or sleep just about anywhere and we’ve gotten much better at compromising with our travel spending habits over the years. As of 2017, we’ve been to all fifty states and are hoping to expand overseas starting this year!

Though we travel as a family much less frequently now that my kids are grown, I still like going places with the boys. They’re up for anything and adept at pushing me out of my comfort zone, be it tasting a new food, a physical challenge, or trying a type of entertainment I’d never heard of before. Though I might initially complain or resist, I’m rarely sorry that I gave in to them!

Then there’s my faithful writing dog, Murphy. He’s not a long-distance voyager but he does love those day and short overnight trips. He’s just happy to be along for the ride!

Somewhat surprisingly, I’ve come to enjoy solo trips too. I like being able to do whatever I want to, whenever I want. Picking my own pace for the day, eating what I feel like, and spending as much time as I want at a location is pretty awesome. If I get lonely. I strike up a conversation with the nearest victim (errr…person!). I’ve even become comfortable eating and drinking alone or asking strangers for help or directions which I’ve decided is one of the major benefits of being an “older” traveler! Or I can travel by myself but as part of a group like I did in the photo above of my Cuba trip.

There are many things I didn’t like about traveling during a pandemic. However, none of them was unbearable enough to landlock me, or my fellow trekkers, permanently. Despite all the challenges, will it be worth it to travel in 2022? My answer is an unequivocal yes!                              

Here’s a foreshadowing of where you might find me over the next few months:

• Chicago
• Iceland
• Chincoteague

Who will I be with and what will I be up to? Stay tuned!