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Waiting in the Transit Lounge
By Diane Manson
Op-Ed Commentary
Two hundred and 90 days ago the World Health Organization announced a global pandemic.
With planet earth shifting past the embryonic days of COVID-19 professionals have learned more about this virus every day. The manner and protocols of how we go about our daily lives is guided by doctors, scientists, researchers, and assisted by politicians. At this time, we have been asked to keep our social contacts microscopically small.
As the pandemic relates to the pause in travel, I’ve coined this time ‘Waiting in the Transit Lounge.’ Adopting a mindset of patience and enjoying the experience makes a long layover pretty darn comfy. There is much to do in the Transit Lounge -great coffee to savour, good books to read, there is time to observe what is going on around us.
Netflix is keeping me entertained during the longer winter evenings. I’ve tried umpteen new recipes and most dear to me is time spent outdoors, at a social distance, hiking with friends. Thank you Mother Nature.
Tremendous changes have been made by travel suppliers. Be it a hotel, cruise line, airline, tour operator, an attraction – the tsunami-hit world of travel is resilient, innovative and continues to work diligently toward safe travel. Travel suppliers have invested in bio-safety, rapid testing, implemented social-distance protocols, touchless check-ins, Hepa-air filtration environments: the list goes on (and on). They have created change policies and relaxed terms and conditions. Late 2021, 2022 and in some cases 2023 travel is available to book with zero to very-little financial risk.
Wherever your Transit Lounge daydreaming finds you: on Safari in Kruger, snorkelling in The Cooks, or expedition cruising the Polar regions, now and the very near future is an opportune time to book post-pandemic wander-lust experiences.
The recent roll-out of vaccines is welcomed news and provides optimism.
Without a doubt I believe we will return to exploring and discovering the world (again). Exactly ‘when’ will differ for each of us. While life evolves and we continue adapting to new rhythms – continue reading, eating good food and playing outdoors. Our collective patience during this interval in life and travel protects our families, communities and shows respect for humankind.
Enjoy every moment in the Transit Lounge and be ready when your gate is announced!
– Diane Manson, contributor, is a certified, accomplished Travel & Cruise Consultant at Mountain City Travel in Kimberley. Diane adopts the words of scientist and writer Jon Kabat-Zinn, “Patience is a form of wisdom. It demonstrates that we understand and accept the fact that sometimes things must unfold in their own time.”
