In the midst of the current COVID-19 pandemic, virtually all travel has come to a screeching halt. But we want you to know that we’re still here. Still answering the phones, responding to emails, answering your questions, and staying busy processing trip cancellations and rebookings. However, like many of you, we’ve had to revise our travel plans and alter the way we live and work. The majority of our staff are currently working remotely from home, practicing our social distancing skills just like you are.

We know many of you are disappointed about postponed or cancelled travel plans. We’re sad too. But we’re also hard at work advocating for your best interest, taking care of all those annoying details in order to ensure that your interrupted trips and rescheduled travel plans will be as stress-free as possible.  And we’re here to remind you that it’s still okay to dream. It’s still okay to think about travel, talk about travel, and fantasize about travel. That’s why we want to continue sharing beautiful travel videos with you, to encourage you to dream, to inspire you, and to give us all some hope of life returning to normalcy again.

It’s difficult to predict how long these travel restrictions will last, but rest assured, “this too shall pass.”  We will travel again. But for now, we’re doing what’s right for the global community by heeding travel advisories and acting responsibly. When the time is right, our travel advisors will be here for you, ready to help plan your next travel adventure. And when it is safe to travel again, we expect U.S. travelers may initially choose closer-to-home locales, like the national parks or other domestic destinations, from which there are many wonderful options to choose.

This month’s Travel Video share features the work of Ohio-based photographer, Shane Black. His film, dubbed Adventure is Calling II, depicts scenes captured mostly in the U.S. and parts of Canada during his 4-month journey that covered some 14,000 miles. Arn Andersson’s musical score, an extended version of his song The Truth Beyond, starts off with a simple, dreamy keyboard arrangement during the film’s opening scenes − perfect for facilitating those travel daydreams! Ultimately, the composition ascends into more powerful orchestral arrangements along the same melody, evoking feelings of hope and inspiration, which serves to remind us that we will get through this. And so, in the meantime, while we are all pretty much stuck at home, remember it’s okay to keep those travel dreams alive!

Stay well, enjoy and keep dreaming!

The Avant Team