It has been over a year since Covid-19 disrupted normal life. Travel has been impossible. What we used to enjoy regularly and took for granted is now so uncertain. Even if travel restrictions are eased, what would it look like, and where would we go, and how much would it cost? One way to mitigate this pain and loss is to go back to old photos and videos of past travels. Images – still photos or videos – can stir memories of sights, feelings, tastes, and scents. Our imagination fills up the blanks in our attempt to remember the details.
I was looking at the analytics to see what people have been reading in my blog. One of them is the Osaka-Kyoto vacation in April 2018. I went there with one of the cell groups in the east: the Marine Parade cell led by Jasmine Chan. When I looked at my blogposts about this vacation, memories of cold, wet and grey came to mind and delicious smells of grilled eels and beef, and being wedged into a crowded Starbucks cafe because of the drizzle outside. Memories: the good, the bad and sad stuff surfaces at random. Nevertheless, it is nostalgic to re-visit and conjure the experiences of this vacation. It is like comfort food for the pandemic fatigued.
Have a look at these posts, and then go take a soak in some of your old travel photos. Don’t do it hurriedly, but give time for memories to conjure the magical moments, feelings both pleasant and unpleasant.