Travelling Minions in 2020

Probably like everyone else on the planet, 2020 did not go as planned. Back at the start of the year I originally intended to take two major trips with the opportunity for smaller ones in between. Unfortunately, with this global pandemic, I only embarked on one trip early in 2020. I debated whether a year in review this year would be very worthwhile given that most of the year I spent at home. However, in the interests of tradition and consistency I’m doing one anyways. Included below are some memories and thoughts for 2020 from the eye of a minion.

Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan

My first (and only) international trip in 2020 happened in February and March. Starting as a wedding invite from Physio, one destination would be Sydney Australia. After some additional planning, the itinerary soon grew to include a stop in Singapore, New Zealand and Taiwan. Not only did I get to explore three countries I haven’t been to yet. I also get to see Physio tie the knot and have some great memories with both Suzy and Gimpy in New Zealand.

Overall, I’m extremely grateful that I am able to take this trip. But that even with the pandemic in its “infancy”, I didn’t face many disruptions and I returned home at just the right time! All four countries have their own unique draws and it’s too much to summarize in this post. So, if you want to read about my general summary of the trip, you can find that here. Otherwise, you can find that blog series here.

Whistler, Canada

There wasn’t much travelling for me (and the rest of the world) the rest of the year. However, during the fall, infection numbers looked ok, so my family booked some time in Whistler, Canada. It’s local to us (about a 2 hour drive) and an opportunity to get away, so we jumped at it. My sister and I left a day earlier and spent the day in the neighboring town: Squamish. This town is really coming into its own as a destination. It’s surrounded on all sides by natural beauty that can be explored, and the town itself now has a great food and drink scene too. The sister and I really enjoyed our day here and it’s nice to know this place is “right down the street” from home if we ever need to satisfy a sudden urge to ‘wander”.

Whistler is a resort town, known for its skiing/snowboarding in the winter and mountain biking in the summer. So fall tends to be a quiet time for the resort and with a pandemic, the quietness is only amplified. So when the sister and I eventually met up with our parents in Whistler, our time was mainly spent “chilling out”. We cooked some great meals together, walked around the village, watched shows and played games together. Overall, even though it’s a low key type of trip, the “getting away” and the spending time with family was much needed during such a bumpy year.

Vancouver, Canada

One of the things I rarely consider when I’m at home is how lovely of a place I actually live in. For many, visiting Vancouver is a trip in itself and I tend to take it for granted. It only really registers to me that I live in an amazing place when I’m abroad. Sometimes I think, “this is beautiful, it’s just like home”, or “this reminds me of such and such a place”. Well being “stuck” at home tends to force a little reflection. While this isn’t a specific trip, I did try to take more walks around my neighborhood and city this year. And even though I’m not going to some far flung place, I’m reminded about how beautiful of a place I live in, and figure this is a great place to share that!

2021

Looking back at 2020 can be a little depressing, what with the world shutting down and many of us being asked to stay indoors as much as possible. But, at the same time, I feel very grateful that I still travelled this year. At the same time with everything going on, sometimes blogging didn’t feel like a priority. It did take me most of the year to blog about the one trip. And with no trips in the near future, I hope to catch up on 2019 trips I didn’t blog about this past year. (even though I did say I was going to.) Not to justify anything, but I’m glad that I still have things to blog about. And given the state of travel at present, it may serve to tide me over until I can actually get on a plane again!

While the immediate future may not hold any travel plans for me. I am hopeful that with news of a vaccine, that perhaps the world will open up again. With this in mind I’ve started looking into two potential trips for 2021:

Scotland & Ireland

In September, I am tentatively planning a trip to visit Ireland and Scotland. These two places have been on my list for a while now and I think with the world slowly “opening up” again. Going somewhere that is “foreign” but still has some similarities to home is a good combination. Not to mention that one of my favorite beverages is Guinness and my favorite spirit is Whisky. In addition to the draw of “hydration”, both destinations have amazing landscapes, history and culture. These two destinations seem like a slam dunk.

In addition, at the very top of my aviation bucket list is “showering” in the air. There aren’t very many airlines and airplanes that can do this, and with the pandemic, there will be even fewer when things return to normal. So I have also preemptively booked some seats on Emirates First Class which has a shower on board!

My hope is that by September of 2021, the world will begin to open again, and what a way for me to re-enter the travel world than with a trip that checks off so many personal boxes for me.

Sibling Trip to Vietnam

In October, there is hope that our “Sibling trips” will return. The Sister and I are starting to plan a trip that will see us spend a few weeks in Vietnam. Then hop over to Singapore for a few days. While the Sister and I haven’t done a big trip in some time, we’re both excited for this one. Being unable to travel, wanting to spend time together, and exploring new places makes this trip an eagerly anticipated one. I have never visited Vietnam but have heard so many amazing stories about the culture and food that sometimes I get a little hungry researching it. Similar to the Ireland/Scotland trip, I’m hopeful that the world opens enough for this to happen.

Normally, I would throw a small tidbit here about smaller trips throughout the year. However, with present circumstances being what they are. Simply being able to travel will be the hope and “win” for 2021. Where 2020 was a “disappointing” year, I am hopeful that 2021 will provide more optimism and positivity. Not just for travel but for all those affected by this pandemic as well.