I Thought Covid Ruined My Travel Dreams… But Actually Made it All Better

In the start of 2020, I was preparing for a handful of incredible trips: 3 weeks in Southeast Asia. 2 Weeks in Europe. A conference in Chicago. A Bachelorette party in Vegas. A handful of music festivals….the list goes on and on. After my first solo trip through Europe, I was SO ready to make all my travel dreams come true. Little did I know, a virus was about to ruin everything.

My first solo trip really ignited my travel flame. I was hellbent on traveling as much as possible & I was not going to let anything stop me. I would go solo, with as much money as I could possibly save… or so I thought.

When it was time to cancel my trip to Southeast Asia, I was heartbroken. I was able to get just about all my $$ back, and that really didn’t make me feel better.

The Reality of the Pandemic

Covid was a confusing time for everyone. We all had a hard time in some way. I had to go on unemployment because my job was considered non-essential. My dad had to temporarily close his business with no real funding assistance. I also had to put some of my grad school/career plans on hold. I had no clue when I would see my friends again or when life would be “normal” again. Oh, not to mention how worried I was about me or a loved one getting sick.

There was one thing I was a little extra devastated about: no longer being able to travel. And having no clue when the world will open back up.

Little did I know… it would eventually be ok. In hindsight, I’m really happy that I had to put my travel dreams on hold. It was soul crushing in the moment, but it all worked out even better than it would have if Covid never happened.

How Delaying my Travel Dreams Worked Out For The Better

1. Financial Recovery

To be totally honest with you, I had no business traveling at all in 2020. I was deep in credit card debt and made very little income. All that travel would have been really tough financially. I knew I had no business traveling as much as I was planning, but I just wanted to see the world so badly. [Dear past Natalia, I love how passionate you are, but financial stability really is important.]

That chunk of time where I couldn’t go anywhere REALLY saved me financially. I moved back home so I had minimal bills. I was able to pay off all my credit card debt within a year (even on unemployment- I was really determined). After paying off my debt, I was able to save some money, too! I also got a LOT better at managing money and learned about investing. If the pandemic never happened, I would have continued to rack up debt. Slowing down forced me to learn more about money and to financially recover. This has definitely served me well with future travels. I save & budget BEFORE I book my trips now!

2. I Travel WAY Better Now

Before the pandemic, I was more of a quantity over quality traveler. I wanted to visit as many countries as possible, so I was perfectly willing to spend a day or two in each country before moving on to the next. It’s rare that I do that now. When I visit a new country, a 3 day stay is usually the absolute minimum. I typically prefer much more time. Now, I would prefer to visit less countries, but really spend time in the places I do visit.

In 2023, I was able to finally have my Southeast Asia redemption trip… except instead of 2 weeks, it was 2 months. Instead of 4 countries, I visited 5… but I actually spent more time in each place. For example, in that 2020 trip, I was only going to spend 4 days in Thailand (& only be in Phuket… I’m so happy I couldn’t go on this trip. I can’t imagine Phuket being my only perception of Thailand). During the 2023 trip, I spent 3 WEEKS in Thailand, and it was AMAZING! I got to visit not only Phuket, but Chiang Mai, Bangkok + Krabi. And I STILL left feeling like there’s so much more I wanted to see.

Taking a step back from travel (whether I wanted to or not) allowed me to evaluate my priorities & consider WHY I travel. It’s not just to check every single country on earth off the list. It’s to experience new cultures, to gain perspective, and to truly LIVE in places far from home. Obviously, It’s hard to do all that when constantly country hopping.

3. I Went on a Healing Journey

This was kinda on accident, but it’s one of the happiest accidents I’ve ever experienced.

While cleaning out my room (one of my many pandemic projects), I listened to this travel vlogger’s podcast. I found this vlogger while researching that Southeast Asia trip that never happened, and I was really drawn to how excited & how present she was while traveling. I knew she had a podcast so I gave it a listen and she talked about concepts I had heard before, but never really understood: inner child healing, law of attraction, shadow work, etc. The way she talked about the world & herself seemed really refreshing and new to me. It seemed that she was onto something…

The more I listened to her podcast, the more I found myself making sense of difficult moments from my past. I had difficult conversations with myself that I had been avoiding for years. I was starting to forgive myself for mistakes I made and I learned to forgive others. For the first time, I felt happy and hopeful for life.. even in a time where life was more uncertain than ever.

This healing journey changed the entire trajectory of my life & my mindset. I can now appreciate travel much more because my overall perspective is much more positive.

4. Fitness Became a Huge Part of My Life

I started a weightloss journey a little before the pandemic, but thanks to the additional free time, I took fitness the next level. By summer of 2020, I was down 83lbs and was studying to become a personal trainer (was supposed to be a side hustle, but ended up being my main career for 4 1/2 years). What does this have to do with travel? Well, it has a lot to do with it.

I remember during my study abroad trip through Central Europe at the highest weight of my life, I really struggled to keep up with the amount of walking required. Once I prioritized my fitness, all the movement that comes with travel isn’t nearly as difficult. Actually, taking long walks & exploring is my favorite thing to do!

There’s Always a Bright Side

In the moment, being stuck at home with no idea when travel would be a possibility again was really painful to face. It took awhile to accept reality and to make the most of my current circumstances. But once I did, everything got better. Little did I know, I was laying the foundation for future travels- and I was doing it RIGHT. When it came time to travel internationally again at the end of 2022, I was financially, physically and mentally prepared.

Do I sometimes wish the world never shut down? Sorta, it would’ve saved my family from a lot of stress and I do often wonder what would have happened if life resumed as normal. But honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing.

2020 me would’ve said the pandemic ruined my travel dreams… 2025 me says my dreams were just waiting for the perfect time to come to fruition.