Míchel Sánchez's side qualified for the Champions League for the first time in the club's history
"Are we giving up on travel?" I asked myself with a jolt. I am sure this is a question many others sitting in isolation around the world are asking too.
The current pandemic has struck a big blow to the life we are used to in the 21st century. This includes travelling for business and leisure, both inside and outside the country. Lockdowns, closure of borders, cancellation of flights, visa suspensions, and news of various airlines and tour operators potentially shutting shop have made the future of travel uncertain for sure.
Despite this unfavourable environment, as an avid traveller, when I am asked if we will travel again, my answer remains unchanged: we most certainly will.
The world of travel, in my opinion, isn't dead - just in a stage of induced coma at the moment. Once the situation normalises, people with itchy feet are bound to want to hit the road or take to the skies again.
I say this because travel, since time immemorial, has remained an essential human desire; over time, it has only changed its mission. While for Emperor Alexander, the goal of travelling was to conquer the world, for seafarer Columbus, it was to discover new shores, while for explorers like Marco Polo and David Livingstone, it was to unveil the mysteries of our planet. For the modern generation, our travel goals encompass a multitude of reasons: sightseeing, uniting with nature, revitalising oneself, shopping, and more.
None of these cravings are going to die anytime soon, so it's only a question of when we'll be able to start again.
Till then, here is a list of things you can do to keep your love for travel alive - even while reclining on an armchair.
Read travel themed books
Watch movies that are bound to give you the travel bug
Watch travel documentaries
Not to be missed are the ones created by legendary television broadcaster, writer and naturalist Sir Richard Attenborough. Some of his highly acclaimed ones are the nine-part Life on Earth series, Planet Earth, Blue Planet and the very popular Great Barrier Reef.
Prepare a bucket list
Travel virtually
Join an online photography course
Play travel games with family
Learn a new language
wknd@khaleejtimes.com
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