According to the US Travel Association, since the beginning of March, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in over $396 billion in cumulative losses for the U.S. travel economy.
Travel bloggers know best. Having visited over 100 countries over 13 years, Brenna Holeman doesn’t just treat travel as a form of vacation but as a passion turned into a full-time job. Originally from Winnipeg, a city in the Canadian prairies, she has lived in Halifax, Toronto, Copenhagen, Yaroslavl, Edinburgh, Osaka, and London.
View this post on Instagram
Where would you go if you could go anywhere? 🌎🌍🌏 I’ve always loved that question, loved the idea of wanderlust taking over, allowing your imagination to run wild. I’d go to Antarctica, or maybe sail around the South Pacific. I’d travel to Madagascar, Uzbekistan, Ghana. I’d spend a few weeks in Suriname and Guyana. I’d head to Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan with my boyfriend, our first big adventure together. Where would you go if you could go anywhere? The question has a different meaning to me now. Travel itself has a different meaning to me now. What used to excite and inspire now makes me feel nervous, cautious. While the world slowly opens back up, with some people venturing to other countries, provinces, or states, I’m still not comfortable travelling outside of my home province of Manitoba. There are many reasons for this, of course: COVID-19 and cost being the two big ones. I spent over a decade working toward this career, and as a travel writer, it’s bittersweet that the thing I love to do most and the way I make my living is now out of reach to me. Even if I did want to use my savings on a big adventure instead of paying my mortgage and bills, I’d worry too much about the health risks and bringing COVID-19 back to my community (for reference, Manitoba had one (!) active case in mid-July, but cases have since skyrocketed due to travel outside the province). It’s all so complicated, isn’t it? To travel, or not to travel. One thing’s for sure: the way we travel may not be the same for a very long time. I’d still love to go to Antarctica, of course, and Madagascar, too. My list isn’t going anywhere, and I know that one day, I’ll be able to see these places. But for now, my list is much smaller. I dream of wild camping in Nopiming Provincial Park. I dream of being able to see my mum in Toronto, my brother in Vancouver. COVID-19 has devastated the travel industry, but from that, I’ve learned to appreciate what’s closer to home, what’s just around the proverbial corner. ✨ Where would you go if you could go anywhere? Are you travelling abroad or inter-province/state yet?
A post shared by Brenna Holeman (@thisbatteredsuitcase) on Sep 3, 2020 at 11:38am PDT
But 2020 has driven her back home. “At the moment I have absolutely zero desire to travel outside of Canada, or even to another province,” she explained in a recent post on Instagram, adding that the thought of traveling to a higher-risk location or being in close quarters with tourists who haven’t quarantined makes her itch.
“It’s all so complicated, isn’t it?” she adds. “To travel, or not to travel. One thing’s for sure: the way we travel may not be the same for a very long time.” For Holeman, the solution was simple: travel – but do it closer to home. According to Holeman, she will be road-tripping, hiking, canoeing, fishing, camping, and supporting local businesses. Which doesn’t sound quite as bad as staying home.
“I was in talks with Travel Manitoba over a year ago that I would spend this summer traveling around this beautiful province, and that is indeed happening,” she explains. “While I’ve already been to Bird River as well as Winnipeg Beach, Pinawa Dam, and Birds Hill Provincial Parks in the past month, I’m soon headed to Brandon, Swan Valley, and Riding Mountain National Park for a Manitoba series with Travel Manitoba.”
We encourage you to follow her journey – online that is.
View this post on Instagram
Still can't get over this summer in Manitoba ✨ I recently had the opportunity to explore the Interlake region of the province, checking out Gimli and Hecla Island (both found on Lake Winnipeg, one of the biggest lakes in Canada). My memories of Gimli came flooding back to me; I had gone often as a kid, but to visit again as an adult was so much fun… all of my childhood favourites were still there (you can’t beat H.P. Tergesen’s General Store) but I saw it all through new eyes, too, stopping for coffee at Flatland's and pickerel tacos at The Ship and Plough. I’m about to head off on a totally new adventure – I’m going to Namibia for the next three weeks – and the strangest thing happened before I left. When I used to travel from London, it was always a countdown until the departure date, always a chance to get away and see something new. I never, ever felt sad about leaving London or that I’d miss it while I was gone; it was always about the adventure ahead. This time, however, knowing I am leaving #Manitoba for three weeks… I feel sad. I have never, ever felt this before I’ve travelled. Don’t get me wrong, I am crazy excited to head to Namibia, a country that has long topped my dream travel list. It’s just that, locking up my house, I knew I’d miss it. I knew I’d miss my friends and family. I knew I’d miss my office and garden. I knew I’d miss the freedom and happiness I’ve felt all summer, one of the best summers of my entire life. Sixteen years ago, when I thought I was leaving Manitoba for good, I could have never predicted how much I’d fall back in love with it. This summer of beaches and festivals and so many adventures has humbled me, humbled that attitude I used to have about my home province. Now? I can’t imagine living anywhere else. I am so excited to share even more of Manitoba with you, because it is seriously underrated. I barely scraped the surface of everything there is to do here, and I can’t wait to see more. I hope you’ll come find out for yourself, too. ✨ Many thanks to @travelmanitoba for sponsoring this beautiful trip to the Interlake region, and for helping me see what was in front of me this whole time. ❤️ #travelmanitoba #exploremb
A post shared by Brenna Holeman (@thisbatteredsuitcase) on Aug 13, 2018 at 10:44am PDT
View this post on Instagram
Of all the things I could have predicted for my life, I can tell you that I didn't predict this: I didn't expect to move back to my hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and fall so madly in love with it. When I was a kid, I wanted to be anywhere but home. It didn't matter where that home was. It could have been Paris or Melbourne or Timbuktu; I simply knew I wanted to go out and explore the world as much as possible, and exploring the world meant leaving home. Now, 16 years after I first left Winnipeg, I've decided to spend much more time here; it's where my family is, firstly, and it's also, as cheesy as it sounds, where my heart is. There's something to be said about travelling; sometimes, it makes you realise just how great home really is. It also helps that Winnipeg is going through a massive Renaissance right now… between all of the new things to do – museums, festivals, restaurants, breweries, bars, and events – and the sense of pride I feel from everyone (this is surely helped by the fact that the Winnipeg Jets are in the NHL playoffs at the moment 🎉), I am ON BOARD. Every single person I speak to who lives in Winnipeg agrees, and we are all here for it, we are all excited to be in this city that is buzzing with energy and cool things to do. One of the best things I've done in the past few months in Winnipeg is the Hermetic Code tour at the Legislative Building. "A tour?" you might be thinking, but trust me, you do NOT want to miss this one. This is one of the best tours I've been on in my life, hands down. Dr. Frank Albo shows you that this isn't any ordinary building, and whatever you think you knew about it, you're probably wrong (including what you may think you know about our infamous Golden Boy). And if you're like me, as soon as you hear the word "occult", you know some crazy stories are about to unfold. I don't want to say too much more about it and ruin the surprise, but between what you learn and how charismatic and knowledgable Dr. Albo is, if you're in Winnipeg you simply have to take this tour. Have you ever been to Winnipeg? Tell me about your hometown! #sponsored by @travelmanitoba #exploremb #manitoba #winnipeg
A post shared by Brenna Holeman (@thisbatteredsuitcase) on Apr 23, 2018 at 10:29am PDT
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcFDKx4nwex/
View this post on Instagram
OK, I think it's time to move on from the East Africa photos, especially since I've been to Canada, the UK, Italy, San Marino, Austria, and Germany since then (kinda missed the whole "Insta" memo, eh?)! I'm sure I'll revisit my photos from Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania in the future – it was one of the best adventures of my life, so there's still a lot to say – but thank you for coming along on the ride thus far. Check out my stories now for what I'm up to in Berlin, and coming up next… Austria. Where in the world are you right now? And to all my fellow Canadians… Happy Thanksgiving! 🇨🇦🍁••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••#giraffemanor #kenya #nairobi #tlpicks #traveldeeper #dametraveler #livecolorfully #iwillbrb #mytinyatlas
A post shared by Brenna Holeman (@thisbatteredsuitcase) on Oct 8, 2017 at 9:29am PDT
