In March 2020 my husband Darren and I booked the number 1 vacation on our bucket list. maldives. With the work.
We saved our butts. It was a reward for working hard.
You dream it, we booked it – overwater bungalows, small plunge pools on timber decks, endless blue everywhere you look. It was great.
Of course, that was March 2020. Mind you, it was right around the time COVID-19 hit. So for three years we put our dreams on ice, fighting lockdowns and restrictions as the Maldives faded into unreality.
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Well, the time has finally come. I’m about to fly off for that vacation and everything has been confirmed and you want to know how I’m feeling? anxietytension, countdown every day, sweaty.
I mean. COVID has changed the world in many ways for us too. For me personally, it has taken a heavy toll on me not being able to travel internationally, with my stable job ruined and the pressures further straining my livelihood.
Prior to COVID, Darren and I traveled abroad twice each year. Traveling has always been one of our absolute favorites hers and brought us together early on in our relationship.One of the advantages is Childlessness by choice It means you have a little extra cash. We started our lives on international adventures together and travel has always brought out the best in us.
But three years of being housebound officially put us out of the habit. Plus, having bought a house in Queensland, it almost feels like a holiday these days.
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I’m not the only one. Medical experts have revealed that post-pandemic anxiety leading up to travel is global, and one Los Angeles-based clinical psychologist attributes it to a protective mechanism.
“During COVID-19, many people were depressed and hopeless as they were helpless or overwhelmed by the reality of the lockdown and deadly virus,” Dr Erica Sanborn said.
“Now that we can safely re-enter the world, the anxiety that once served us is gone. [as] Protective functions make it difficult to engage in activities that help get out of depression. “
I had pre- and post-menopausal anxiety and depression during COVID, so this resonates perfectly with me.
I am also afraid that the Maldives will not live up to expectations. I thought about this place, this particular room, this particular resort for three solid years. Whenever I felt sad because of COVID-19, I looked at pictures of the Maldives and imagined what it would be like to be in the Maldives.
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Having ridiculously high expectations adds to my freaks as I worry that the trip will not live up to expectations.
I know what you’re thinking I know there are a lot, so I try to see the positive. The biggest issue is that in 2020 I paid for my vacation in full. It feels like a free holiday now, which is great. It’s all a little boring, really.
And of course I’m excited. It’s crushed somewhere between anxiety and panic, but it’s there. I don’t know how to handle my feelings about this trip.
Another positive is that I finally got a chance to take a breather. Darren and I are so exhausted that a flash of excitement pierces us when people say to us, ‘Oh, Maldives, you’re going to be bored.’ Thank you for an incredible week of rest. increase.
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There are also many activities to book. Darren and I both love fishing, so that’s an option. You can also swim with whale sharks, which I have always wanted to do. There are also transparent perspex canoes so you can navigate the waters and peer into the reef below.
Sound excited? I am doing my best to persuade you. Take a look, I’m sure it will be great. I know I’m lucky to be able to go because it’s at the top of many people’s to-do lists for the rest of their lives, but I thought it would be nice to talk about how travel got weird. I think days.
Call it yet another aftereffect of COVID, call it an adjustment period, or whatever. You can’t pretend to live a perfect life and brag about your upcoming vacation. It’s just because I’m scared.
We hope everything lives up to your expectations and that your travels become a daily routine as soon as possible.
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