Like many of you, I look back with disappointment at the canceled trips we had planned to take in the last three months and the ones we had looked forward to taking this summer which have now been removed from our calendar due to the coronavirus pandemic. Personal and professional travel have ground to almost a total halt during one of the busiest travel times of the year. So I had to laugh last weekend when I heard from family members living in Amsterdam, NL that the cat they had adopted from a shelter in Spain (because of a paucity of available cats in the mouse-ridden Netherlands) had successfully traveled thousands of miles across numerous countries to reach them last Saturday. Their new pet actually arrived with a valid Spanish EU pet passport in a comfortably equipped Spanish van with a dozen other kitties destined for new homes. Unlike this fortunate feline, most people in the world today can not travel freely to another country nor obtain visas to live elsewhere. Even as borders are beginning to open in Europe, very few are admitting foreigners without restrictions and citizens of countries considered “risky” are not welcome in many countries which have strived to keep out the infection.
How do you escape the boredom of home confinement in such times? Some people are taking short driving excursions, camping, or renting accommodations in country, mountain, or beach settings. Others prefer “staycations” with more and more local recreational and cultural attractions reopening. Still others are continuing to shelter in place and foregoing any travel until a vaccine is available. I have watched countless episodes of travelogues, international house hunting shows, and romance and murder mysteries set in exotic locales to enjoy armchair travel. Of course, a good movie or book or musical concert can also quickly transport you to another place and time. You can also whip up a delicious taste of your favorite cuisine. This is a good time to learn a foreign language or study world history or art for future travel use. It is also a great opportunity to learn more about your own country, its history, and culture. Some world capitals, devoid of the usual hordes of tourists, are now promoting their cultural attractions to their own residents, who are rediscovering the beauty around them.
Recently Naomi Feil, Founder of Validation, participated in a Q&A webinar hosted by Memory Bridge. These are the folks that created the Gladys Wilson & Naomi Feil video clip that went viral (excuse the pun) a few years ago. The Validation Training Institute and Memory Bridge are about to start a partnership with Naomi Feil to create monthly webinars. Instead of Naomi flying all over the world, she can impart her unique wisdom and experience from her living room to yours. Take a look at the VTI website for announcements of future webinars, online courses, and other opportunities to learn more about Validation while you travel in place.
By: Fran Bulloff, VTI President
