Travel Dreams

I find myself looking up flights again... even with the U.S. seemingly on the no fly list. I catch myself day-dreaming about taking a vacation (or two). I tried going to the SATA website to book a flight to Portugal but I kept getting an 'Error' with 'No Results Found'. I tried changing the dates further into the future (June/July 2021) or earlier (December 2020) with the same message popping up. I was curious to see if I could get a flight from Canada to Portugal for the Summer of 2021 so I emailed my favorite Canadian Travel Agent, Luiza Rocha-Baker and she got back to me within the hour with flexible dates and prices. I truly believe it is a U.S. thing; the COVID numbers are scary and with the magnifying glass on politics and an upcoming presidential election, all eyes are on America with a lot more judgement than empathy.

We are doing our best, everyday, to limit exposure, protect our business and its patrons, and make a life amidst the chaos. I can't speak for all Americans but as a resident, I am getting annoyed and defensive when our family and friends give me their criticisms to our current situation. Our daily routine looks the same as it did before the pandemic, except for having hand sanitizer everywhere and face masks readily available. We have not indulged in public outings other than a restaurant meal every 4-5 weeks. If we go outside, we keep our distance from others and we see the general population doing the same. I see hope for the citizens here, even with the world coming down on them and the weight of all the virus statistics, they persevere. The strength of this country will be seen, maybe not from its government, but from the people of this nation. The world needs to take a few steps back and give Americans the benefit of the doubt. Things are getting better, its not obvious in the eyes of the media but we all know how negative press gets ratings. And I beg you, please, from the bottom of my heart... let me book a vacation🥺!!