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May 18, 2021

Travel is Slowly Opening Up. Now What?

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We are a little over a year in since global travel shut down. Many places still have closed borders, and though more privileged nations, such as here in the United States, are feeling a little relief – for the most part, there are still some pockets not progressing as quickly as others – there are still countries (such as India and Brazil), that are really suffering and others who do not yet have reliable access to vaccines (i.e., many Caribbean nations). Nonetheless, people are planning their trips.

But the pandemic has changed us. And by us, I don’t mean everyone, but a lot of us. We can see it in people’s lack of response to the callbacks to work and offices. People have genuinely had a moment of self-reflection and awakening and in many cases have chosen a path that they believe is better for them and far more fulfilling than when this whole thing started.

We are seeing this shift the most in the service industry. Restaurants and other hospitality-driven businesses are struggling with low applications. That’s not to say that the people who would have chosen to work as servers, or cooks, or wait staff, etc., are not working at all. It means they have chosen to no longer work in environments where they are overworked, underpaid, taken for granted, and unappreciated – not just by their employers, but by us, the consumer.

A lot of this sentiment came about in many ways during the pandemic itself while restaurants and bars and others tried to balance mask mandates and maintaining the comfort and happiness of their customers. While management and owners did the right thing in implementing safety mandates, they also have left the burden of enforcing these mandates to their minimum-waged, overworked staffs, many of whom deal with belligerent, abusive, and in many cases dangerous customers – an incredible ask, often with very little support from the higher-ups.

And for some, it has gotten to the point where they don’t see that path being worth it anymore. And now business owners are left at a loss, though truthfully, it is a loss for all of us.

There is no doubt that this is an opportunity for corporate heads and managers and business owners, large and small, to really take a hard look at the business model standards and leadership examples they have set and the ways in which they have failed their teams.

A person’s dignity, self-worth, and entitlement to respect are not included in the price of your steak special or airline ticket.

But it is also incumbent upon us to listen and reconsider the ways in which we treat those invisible and not so invisible workers who truly complement our hospitality experiences, whether we are dining out for brunch, or wine tasting for the afternoon or traveling on a plane. Local voices matter. We as travelers and as consumers have to also rethink – and maybe for some of you, relearn – what it means to be a customer, what we are entitled to, and what our money really affords us, and start to understand that a person’s dignity, self-worth, and entitlement to respect is not included in the price of our steak special or airline ticket. These things are not negotiable or dependent on our mood.

Personally, as someone with Caribbean roots, who grew up seeing abusive, entitled, and over-privileged foreigners freely take from and mistreat members of my community whose job has been to cater to them during their vacation, I am truly delighted in seeing the industry workers speak up and demand better. I am proud of those who have spoken up in their own countries against governments who have been too lenient with travel restrictions and tourists’ bad behavior.

If this pandemic has taught us anything is that we all should be better and kinder, not just with ourselves, but with others around us.

We are not entitled to our trips or our vacations, especially to destinations whose communities are still struggling to recover, but as travel opens up and more of you return out into the world – whether it is on a road trip or to a tropical beach, use this opportunity to see the humanity in anyone and everyone who works to make that trip a pleasant one for you and yours. Be respectful of the rules in place, whatever mandates are still being followed, and of the fact that these people have left their own families and home to make your travel experiences a comfortable and pleasant one – sometimes at the risk of their own health.

It is time to go back into the world with the goal of being better humans, or face accountability when you are not. It is time to reimagine hospitality and give power to the voices of those who are the backbone of the industry. Because while it may feel like we are slowly going back to normal, there is no going back to the ways things were. And for that, we should all be grateful.

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Carol Cain

Brooklyn native Carol is happiest when on an adventure, whether close to home or farther away. She is a small business owner and travel writer. In addition to creating Girl Gone Travel, she is the Founder and Principal of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. She's mom to three wonderful sons and wife to a handsome Irish/Scot. She lives, works, and plays in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of NY.

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About me

Hi! I'm Carol! I am an award-winning travel blogger, a keynote speaker, and the Principal and owner of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. I a wife to a handsome Irish/Scot and a mom to 3 sons and 2 puppies. Welcome to my blog where I share stories of my travels and professional public relations insights and advice. Thank you for reading and for your support!

Carol Cain

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I’ve been a mom for a really, really long time. I’ve been a mom for a really, really long time. As the oldest of all my many, many siblings, caring for littles started very early in my life. I have cared for, changed diapers for, fed, rocked to sleep, booboo-kissed, advised, reprimanded, worried for, been frustrated and given anxiety by more kids than I care to count. Because I started caring for children so young, I was convinced I wouldn’t have any of my own. But I had my three beautiful boys.

I miss the little babies they were, sometimes to the point where it aches, but I love seeing the men they are becoming. I am most grateful to them for the ways in which they continue to help me discover more about myself both as a mom and beyond motherhood. My identity was never fully in being a mom, I never wanted that for myself and they all have respected, accepted, and given me space for that. And I love them unconditionally for it. Because as they start to find their own paths in life, I am not left with an empty anything, instead I find myself with a life fulfilled. Of which being their mom has been the greatest adventure.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the amazing mother figures, caregivers, and humans who have provided for another in loving, maternal ways regardless of biology and traditional roles and societal expectations. ♥️ May you find fulfillment, love, and joy in the ways you have tried to give to others who needed it most.
The Village of Monticello is located right off NYS The Village of Monticello is located right off NYS Route 17 (future I-86), mid-way between New York City and Binghamton. It is also the largest community of the Sullivan County Catskills. Like many rural downtowns across the U.S., Monticello has experienced some hardships. However, what I found especially lovely was how there is a vibrant BIPOC community, especially Latino, thriving with their small businesses and eateries keeping Downtown Monticello alive.

Imagine my delight to have seen several Dominican- Puerto Rican eateries serving and sounding like a slice of home. Last night’s treat was had at @nellys_latin_restaurant. 

Roasted pernil, grilled chicken, rice and peas, yuca, sweet plantains, ox tail, goat….the list goes on and on. Right here in Monticello, NY. I ate and washed it all down with a cool papaya shake, just like from the islands.

So, if driving through, be sure to check out downtown Monticello for some good Caribbean eats…and wait till I tell you about breakfast!!! Thanks @nickfingdavis for the find! 🇩🇴🇵🇷

#monticellony #catskills #goodeats @sullivancatskills
Nothing like the beautiful golden hour in @flxwine Nothing like the beautiful golden hour in @flxwinecountry.🌞

#myflx
These days you will find me walking in the rain, c These days you will find me walking in the rain, chasing waterfalls, and anything nature filled. Such is spring in the Finger Lakes 🌷

#fingerlakes #lifeinthefingerlakes #cascadillagorge #ithacany
I sometimes can’t believe how easily I fell in l I sometimes can’t believe how easily I fell in love with this life.

There was a time when my DREAM was to be one of those old NYC ladies living in a 4 story walk-up, and who people would often see pulling around her shopping cart from market to market. And while I long for a NYC that barely exists anymore, I do have to say I am still often surprised at how dramatically that dream has changed.

Now I dream of uninterrupted days spent tending to my garden and growing food and other pretty greenery I never knew I could. Or figuring out new recipes and sitting by the fire with my puppies on my lap.

I crave mornings made foggy by the adjacent lake, and early wake-ups by the sound of the passing horse and buggy on Sunday mornings.

Yeah. The world is big and there is so much I want to see still but I also love this place where it feels like nothing else matters, not even the mud on my hands and boots.

📸 Gardening bliss on a rainy day at @theflxcottage.
Yesterday, we headed to @tanglewood_nature_center Yesterday, we headed to @tanglewood_nature_center to scout a photography location. The focus was work. But as we took the 3 mile hike to the overlook, through the mud, in the rain…and the sun, because spring, and as the birds sung, the woodpeckers pecked, and the deer strutted, I felt myself feel lighter, happier, and at ease. With just a walk, in this beautiful place. Alongside my beautiful partner.

If you call the Finger Lakes home, I hope you can also appreciate it and the gifts it offers, even when we least expect it. And if you need a reminder, just go outside.

#tanglewoodnaturecenter #fingerlakes

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