What travel will look like in 2021

+ the woman changing the way we shop online

In this newsletter: 2021 travel predictions, a woman changing online shopping, and escaping life’s waiting room. If you’ve found your way here but are not yet subscribed, here, let me help you with that:

When I graduated junior high, my parents gifted me the Dr. Seuss book, Oh, the Places You’ll Go, which whimsically describes the ebbs and flows of life. From riding high one day to falling in a slump the next, the gravitas of this book escaped my pre-teen self who was too busy kissing Leonardo DiCaprio posters.

Re-reading it today, there is a part in the book where the main character finds himself stuck in life’s “waiting room” — a place where everyone is just waiting for something to happen. A phone call, a new job, a second chance, a revelation, an Amazon package to arrive — the waiting room is a place of complacency and inaction. And wouldn’t you know, I’ve found myself smack dab in the middle of it.

the dreaded waiting room

After a year of telling myself I can’t travel, can’t eat at restaurants, can’t find a new job in this economy, can’t visit friends, can’t make a difference, can’t step outside — I realized today I’ve been sitting in this badly lit waiting room, casually flipping through a 10-year-old copy of Cat Fancy, and uttering the words “I can’t” under my breath. What a visual. In my twenties I always used the words “I can.” I believed I could switch careers, become a travel editor, explore the world, live in another country, even call off my wedding (a story for another time) — and because I thought I could, I did.

After a year of virus, quarantine, and unemployment, the promise of 2021 and saying “I can” again is almost too delicious to fathom. I want to dedicate this newsletter to the promise of bursting out of this Godforsaken waiting room and stepping back into the light. To the I cans that this year promises, such as getting back to traveling and giving back.

The couple that proved they can make a difference

In December, I donated a percentage of paid subscriptions from this newsletter to Women for Women International, which is a non-profit dedicated to helping women in war-torn countries. I’ve decided to keep it going! Every month, I’m going to donate a portion of our paid newsletter subscriptions to a non-profit either founded by a woman or focused on helping women. This month, I’ll be donating to Heart of Dinner, which is an incredible organization that has been feeding New York’s elderly Asian community from the start of the pandemic. I had the pleasure of interviewing the founders, Yin Chang and Moonlynn Tsai and they are just about the coolest, kindest people you can meet.

In addition to supporting non-profits, our paying newsletter subscribers unlock exclusive content, receive a copy of our Feminist City Guidebook to NYC, a complimentary issue of Unearth Women magazine, future issues of Unearth Women magazine, and more.

When can I travel again? Here’s what experts say

My apartment looks exactly what you might imagine a Travel Editor’s apartment to look like. There is a world map that takes up a whole wall, piles of old Lonely Planet guides, and hanging paintings from overlooked shops in Bali and Belize. Normally, all of this travel memorabilia would inspire my next trip but, during a pandemic, it all has me asking one question: When can I travel again? With the arrival of the COVID vaccine, here’s what the experts are saying:

• Book those international trips, but wait until September - Studies show that 2021 will be an explosive year for travel, but (there’s always a but) it won’t happen until closer to 2022. Experts anticipate a surge in international travel this fall with proof of a COVID vaccination.

• Soul-searching trips - It’s been nearly a year of introspection and that is going to reflect in how we travel. Experts predict a rise in “soul-searching” trips where travelers will go to places like India or Israel to find purpose and meaning.

• Road trips are here to stay - We’ve seen a road trip renaissance throughout this pandemic, and for good reason. Driving in a car is the safest way to get around without exposing yourself or others to COVID. Look for a continued rise in road trips this Spring.

• You, and everyone else, will be going tropical - Experts believe tropical destinations are going to be the go-to travel trend of 2021. After a year of sweatpants and home cooked meals, it’s a no brainer that people want to lounge in the Caribbean and sip coconut cocktails.

• The return of travel to big cities - Places like New York and Las Vegas have been unusually quiet these days, but experts say we should expect a resurgence of travelers to major metropolitan areas in mid-June.

• Borders will open up this summer - Here’s the BIG question on my mind: when can I step off American soil? According to experts, this summer we’ll see borders opening up again. This prediction coincides with the anticipation of international travel surging in the fall.

  Bottom line: if you’re going to book a trip abroad this year, ideally get a COVID vaccine and wait until the end of summer/beginning of fall.

The woman showing us how we can use online shopping to support artisans

With so many companies folding, stalling, and struggling during the pandemic, I was eager to speak with Lola Akinmade Åkerström about the company she was starting. Lola is the CEO of Local Purse, which I wrote about for Wanderful this winter. Local Purse is a start-up that uses video shopping to connect artisans and local guides with online shoppers around the globe. As Lola explained it to me: imagine taking a virtual tour of Marrakech. From the comfort of your home you can virtually walk into a local shop, meet the artisan, and even purchase an item. The idea helps travelers support small businesses and artisans at a time when traveling has come to a halt. How cool is that?

Can we start a book club? Yes, yes we can.

I have a confession: I’ve always wanted to start a book club. Not only do I need to read more (I’m starting to quote headlines, people…not even full articles) but I also love a good excuse to drink wine and wax poetic on stories. I’m currently reading Now I See You by Nicole C. Kear, which is a funny-as-hell, devastatingly honest, an all-the-feels memoir about a young woman who is diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease. As her vision begins to narrow, her perspective on life starts to widen.

Fun fact: the author was my professor at a memoir writing class I took at New York University last year. Of the many wild ideas that have popped in my head during quarantine (culinary school, moving abroad, dying my hair) one of them is — you guessed it — writing a memoir. I’m considering starting a subscriber-only book club with monthly Zoom meetings to drink vino and discuss. Would you want to join? Let me know.

Other things to do this week: Catch up on the latest season of Top Chef and then decide to make a pasta carbonara in honor of the show’s finale in Italy. Realize that the pasta you need is bucatini of which there is an inexplicable national shortage (stop using bucatini as straws, people!). Scour Queens until you find an Italian grocer selling what might be the only bag of bucatini left in New York City. Reward yourself by also picking up a half-pound of prosciutto di parma. As you munch on your overpriced prosciutto, watch this hilarious video featuring a musician turning an internet drama into a catchy song. Spend the rest of the day singing about Caroline and her broccoli casserole stealing ways.