My first thought when considering this note was: How can I write this summer letter to you—our gorgeous, mostly Canadian readership—when I’ve been living in Barbados since November? It felt like a major disconnect.
But then I remembered that we’re not just a Canadian magazine. We have folks reading our stories in Iceland, Italy, Australia, Hungary, England, Spain. Those same people will be reading this right now. I realized that Travelier communicates with readers from every part of the planet. People who are going through different experiences, on different timelines, with different rules and regulations, but—it’s actually all the same shit.
The beauty of this new travel chapter we’re experiencing is that it’s not just a bright new time for Canadians; it’s a new beginning for everyone, a new era. Whether the weather is hot or cold, northern or southern hemisphere, summer or winter, we are all coming into a season of newfound freedom—including the freedom to travel again.
I’m struck by the beautiful irony of the shared pandemic experience we have all had, which has kept us apart for so long but which has also brought us together. The forced isolation, the restrictions, the curfews—no matter what country we live in, we’ve gone through it separately, but together.
So.
We at Travelier would like to raise a cup to all of you, our readers, wherever you are. You made it! You’re stronger, more awake, more grateful. Let’s enjoy this start of a new travel phase, one of (incrementally) increased freedom, a sunny, new moment for us all to bask in.—Jeff
