Traveling the World amid Uncertainty
My name is Mishana Sturdivant and I own Tad Bit Rad Travels. The purpose of this blog is to share tips, stories and recommendations to empower my readers to travel efficiently and unapologetically.
In this post I talk about my last few weeks traveling through Europe during the current political climate and how this could impact my future plans.
Enjoy!
There’s so much going on in the world right now—chaos, unrest, and anti-immigrant sentiment. Navigating my semi-sabbatical as a black female solo traveler isn’t easy. Choosing safe destinations feels unpredictable. A simple Uber ride to a landmark could expose me to unexpected unrest, forcing me to cancel plans or even leave a city. Sometimes I wonder if I should pause my travels and spend time with family, where things feel stable and secure.
Sharing my travel experiences and guides on social media during these times raises concerns. I worry my content may appear out of touch as my audience faces challenging news. I worry that people don’t care about my top recommendations in Montenegro, Albania, or Greece. Or if my audience values my travel content, and it serves as an escape. As current events unravel, these are some of my daily thoughts. I somewhat believe there’s always going to be something going on in the world, and I shouldn’t let that sway my plans. I also believe money will return, and you should spend it on everlasting memories and experiences. However, today’s times seem unprecedented.
Last week, I spent two weeks traveling through Côte d’Azur and France’s wine regions: Champagne and Bordeaux. The Côte d’Azur is a laid-back, luxurious destination, renowned for its delicious rosé wine and crystal-clear blue waters. Bordeaux is surprisingly a college town surrounded by some of the world's best wineries. Champagne is posh and uppity, as you would expect. I enjoyed my time exploring these cities, but a country-wide protest broke out in the middle of our French adventure. French people were passionately protesting their current prime minister in the streets in multiple cities. Upon our arrival in Champagne, we asked our Uber driver for more context on the protest. He explained it to us and repeatedly said, “We need change, we need change.” We were leaving Bordeaux to head to Champagne but had to change trains in Paris. Luckily, we were able to dodge the unrest. We couldn’t see much from the train, but we were able to watch livestreams. Simultaneously, tensions are rising in the United States as the people are further divided. Once we finally arrived in our chateau in Champagne, we glanced at our phones in silence as we caught up on current events back home.
Visiting the town of St Emilion while exploring the Bordeaux region
So how do you travel the world during uncertainty? Do you continue carefully, or do you return home to be around familiarity? I don’t have the answer to that yet. Luckily, all the travel that I’ve booked so far is flexible and refundable. I can be as flexible as I need to be. I originally planned to spend some highly anticipated time in the Middle East, but I think I will reschedule that for later. I’ve also shortened my time traveling around Asia to save some money and pay off some debt. Although I don’t know yet if I should return home or continue on, I do know it’s important to keep up with global news while globetrotting. You should know what’s going on globally, what the people are feeling, and if it could impact you as a visitor in their country. You should be agile. Book refundable accommodations and flights, so that you can abruptly change your plans without penalty. Lastly, this is something that I need to work on, but make time to talk to your community. Sometimes it’s easy to get lost in a city and let the time go past without picking up the phone and connecting back home. But please, call/text your friends, loved ones, and even connect with your friends who live abroad.
I’m currently in Brussels, Belgium, and I reconnected with a college friend who moved here a few years ago to teach English. During this time of uncertainty, it was relieving to see a familiar face. It felt good to talk to someone who understood what I was feeling, over wine. These types of experiences push me to keep going and not throw away this journey just because of fear and uncertainty.
Next week, I return home for a bit before heading across the Pacific Ocean to Asia. I will let you all know if anything changes. As of now, I plan to still explore South Korea and Japan. Until then, you all be safe and don’t forget to show love to your community.
