Ever since I re-branded my blog to include travel, I have gone on a total of zero trips, with no other trip looking likely for a while yet. It begs the question, am I responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic?

My partner and I had decided that it was time for a change; a decision made nine months ago. Being a man of my word, I wasn’t going to back out, especially as I had convinced her to stay in Beijing for two years longer than both of us had initially intended to. The problem is that a big change is scary, after all, as the name suggests, it’s big change.

She had quit her job, and I was nearing the end of mine, and that’s when all the stars, moons, spiritual beings and humans made the collective decision to stick a hand in our faces and say, “hold on a minute, where the hell do you think you are going?”

Funny thing is that our decision to leave was the only reason we had decided to do the unthinkable, and stay in Beijing for Spring Festival, a decision that ultimately turned out to be for the best. I can’t help but think, what if we were stuck abroad in a country that didn’t qualify as an abode? A situation that many have faced and are still facing due to cancelled flights and border closures.

Even as I check flights now, the prices are astronomical, and many airlines are in dire need of rescuing. In fact, most are publicly asking for help with tag lines such as, “we are all in this together”… a tagline that didn’t seem to apply when one of my suitcases was 3.5kg’s over the limit – I was allowed 2x20kg, but had 1×23.5kg.

What Next?

Although I am still in Beijing, my partner and I are hoping to find a way to make sure we do everything we wanted to. For now though, until anything new can happen, I will occupy your screens with some of my favourite moments from past travel experiences. From the two-day hike up Mount Emei, to standing on the edge of an active volcano, plus many more…

Through my stories, hopefully you will find a place that you may want to visit, and do it better than I did. Others may want to use it as a way to get away mentally, if not physically. If neither of my reasons are of importance to you, then just think of these stories as my way of apologising for causing COVID-19.