There was once a time when taking our shoes off before security and packing liquids below 100ml was a surreal experience, but it quickly became part and parcel of our travel routine. As the world looks towards emerging after months of being shut down and countries begin opening their borders, the headlines and stories about how travel will change make for some challenging situations, but we have faith that with time it will become easier to navigate.
One thing’s for sure that when we do travel again, we’re going to savour every single moment. We’re still biding our time for the “official” green light, but seeing stories from around the world from countries that are beginning to open up has us feeling hopeful
Travel is not the only thing that has changed, because we have too. Just from the conversations we’ve had over Zoom, it’s clear our future adventures will reflect the changes we’ve gone through. So we decided to have a little fun this week and figure out what our new travel style will be, and you can join in too. Take this old-school style quiz (like the ones you used to read in 90s magazines) to find out what your new travel style is.
1. Let’s start with some gratitude. What do you love most about your life?
- A: I have it pretty good and truly appreciate that but who doesn’t love a little daydream every now and again?
- B: That I’m always off on one adventure or another.
- C: I love the fact that I have my independence but also have great friends and family.
- D: That my life is one crazy adventure and I can’t get enough of it.
- E: I’m deeply grateful for my life, it’s been a beautiful journey so far.
2. What do you miss most about travelling?
- A: I feel so free, and like anything is possible.
- B: I love everything about travelling, doesn’t matter where I am or who I’m with.
- C: Being away from it all.
- D: Meeting people and discovering a new culture.
- E: Every trip is different, it’s hard to pinpoint just one thing.
3. What does a long weekend normally look like for you?
- A: Squeezing in as many adventures as possible in 72 hours.
- B: I always take an extra day or two and get a short-haul trip in.
- C: At a cottage with friends or family with lots of me-time thrown in for good measure.
- D: Something along the lines of The New York Times’ 36-Hours In
- E: Who knows? Carpe diem friends!
4. What’s your favourite thing about where you live?
- A: The fact that I live near the mountains or the sea or close to some incredible nature.
- B: There’s so much to see and do nearby.
- C: Lots of nice trails where I can take long walks and runs by myself.
- D: It’s a melting pot.
- E: How close the airport is!
5. What’s the first thing you’re going to do when you arrive in a new destination?
- A: Learn the lay of the land.
- B: Connect to WiFi and get in the zone, it’s time to start exploring.
- C: Grab a cup of coffee for myself and watch the world go by.
- D: Allow myself to get swept away.
- E: Go for a walk with no destination in mind, if I get lost even better.
6. The next time you go on holiday and have a day to yourself, how are you going spend it?
- A: Doing something on my bucket list.
- B: Oh my goodness, where do I start? There aren’t enough hours in the day.
- C: Doing something that I really want to do, even if I have to do it alone.
- D: Immersing myself in a neighbourhood and getting to know the locals.
- E: One doesn’t plan these things.
7. What’s been your go-to travel movie during lockdown?
- A: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
- B: Midnight in Paris
- C: Wild
- D: Eat, Pray, Love
- E: Into The Wild
8. Apart from your phone and passport, what item(s) will you never travel without?
- A: My Northface stuff.
- B: My camera.
- C: My headphones and sunglasses.
- D: A journal.
- E: My favourite backpack (even though it’s falling apart, we’ve had some good times together).
9. Last but not least, how have you been keeping your wanderlust at bay during quarantine?
- A: Looking for new things to experience online.
- B: Supporting local businesses by ordering stuff from all those restaurants and bars I’ve been meaning to visit.
- C: Using this time for myself to learn things like how to make pasta from scratch.
- D: Virtual escapism.
- E: Reminding myself that this too shall pass.
What your answers mean
Ready to find out what trip you should be taking in a not so distant future? It’s time to discover your new travel style.
If you answered mostly A: The Big Adventurer
You should start saving and planning today and for a big adventure in 2021. Whether it’s climbing mountains, sailing to Antarctica or setting off on that safari, this time in quarantine has made you realise what you want to prioritise. It’s time to embark on that trip you’ve been dreaming of and seeing all these years in the travel magazines and movies. It’s time to pull a “Walter Mitty.”
If you answered mostly B: Travel Like a Local
Your love of new experiences at home or away is perpetual, and quarantine has done nothing to cool your jets. If anything it has only stoked the fires of wanderlust even more. With international travel still up in the air, and your desire to travel non-stop, your best bet is looking to domestic experiences in the great outdoors. Road trips, camping trips and national parks will make your heart feel full and inspired all-year-round.
If you answered mostly C: Going it Alone
You’re naturally independent (bar a handful of your favourite humans), and being in quarantine has reinforced just how capable you are of handling most things that come your way. You’re still a little antsy about travel, but you still need a break – one where you can sip cocktails at a distance. Self-guided, private or solo travel is going to be your ticket going forward.
If you answered mostly D: Escape Artist
You love living life to the full, meeting people, falling into conversation with strangers and exploring anything and everything. You enjoy the company of others and have had it with quarantine. It will be sometime before the world gets back to what it used to was and with outbound journeys slim on the ground, a little retreat or get away from the city might be the escape you need. You’ll get some time to rest and hone in on what’s been happening in a new environment – from there you can start making your peace with the future.
If you answered mostly E: The Wanderer
From eating momos in the foothills of the Himalayas, heading off-the-grid in Mexico, travelling across the globe for festivals and events, throwing back tequila shots in the most happening cities, or making new friends on the road, up until now the world was your oyster.
Things are changing, and you’re ready to change with them. Your love of travel has never been about a destination. It’s always been about the journey, and this is just another part of it. You firmly believe your next adventure will make itself known to you when the time is right, and you’ll be ready when it does. Here’s to the next chapter.
