Summer Thoughts on Traveling and Connecting
It has been a strange few months. We have passed through an equinox, a solstice, and July 4th. We have been from snow to balmy summer days and watched the corn grow, and still we are in relative lockdown. I can still recall leaving Venice amidst the Carnivale and heading back towards London before the world officially shut down. We have all learned to adapt to this new remote world. Strange as it seems to use the word “remote”, I have actually been in contact with friends from overseas more than ever before through the power of video chat. Over the course of this pandemic, I have attended every National Theatre performance…in my living room.
I have traveled to places I have never been to.
My iPad, phone, and computer connect me with colleagues, friends, and their living rooms. Most of us do not always use the fake background so we actually get to see a lot of secrets in terms of how people decorate their houses! It has been a peculiar kind of journey. And all of this is amidst the untold tragedy of COVID-19, as it takes its toll around the world. Zoom has become a household word now.
I just wanted to reach out to all of our travelers and say hi. We are looking forward to reconnecting with you and talking travel. We are looking forward to making plans and doing what we do best. It has been a particularly challenging time for everyone but we are now seeing Europe opening up and encouraging signs across the world. We also know that we will have to make changes to accommodate the new travel world that we find ourselves in. As such, we are spending a lot of time creating new concepts, providing health and safety measures, and identifying reassurance points that will make all of our future travelers feel comfortable.
In Rome’s Pantheon square, restaurants and cafes are now open for business. Slowly, the world is emerging from this pandemic. The restaurant below me opened this past week with outdoor seating. By the time Labor Day comes around, we are hopeful that we will see a brighter landscape and that the wheels of travel will start to turn again. In the meantime, we hope you have enjoyed the virtual content on our website. Thank you so much to our Tour Managers and our overseas connections who have provided us with a veritable potpourri of experiences. We are so grateful for their contributions, their personalities, and their enthusiasm for sharing their travel stories and expertise with you.
We are always deeply grateful to all of the teachers who have learned to adapt to this world of remote learning.
Finding different ways to connect with students outside of the classroom has, I am sure, provided challenges and led to new ways of teaching and innovation. Ultimately, there is no substitute for a classroom. Ultimately, there is no substitute for being there. But in these difficult and strange times, we have all learned to adapt to a different rhythm. While I long to go to the theater, to jump on a plane, or to visit a museum, I have learned to appreciate other things that are important in my life.
Enjoy the rest of the summer. We will keep updating content on our website. Be safe, be cautious, stay well, and thank you for everything you do as educators to make the world a better place.
Peter Jones In 1978, Peter Jones founded ACIS with a few colleagues, who all believed that travel changes lives. Knowing the important difference between a trip that’s mediocre and one that’s extraordinary, he built ACIS from a deep belief and understanding that ACIS group leaders and participants deserve the best—from itinerary development to hotels to perhaps most importantly, the people hired to guide teachers and students throughout the journey.
