Well, kids, we made it. After months of staying indoors, intense hand sanitization, mask-wearing, sourdough starter kits, virtual experiences, unwarranted Tiger King follow-up specials, a presidential election for the ages, and Zoom happy hours that none of us really wanted to attend, we’ve finally managed to drag ourselves across the 2020 finish line. Whew.

After what has undoubtedly been one of the most chaotic years in human history, we’re finally ready to take stock of the past several months and look forward to a better, less stressful future. Below, we asked our community of travelers where they found escapism this year—whether by weekend road trips or journeys of the imagination—as well as where they hope to travel as soon as the experts declare Earth open for business again.

Jinnie Lee, writer and co-founder of STET Mag

Where did you travel to or find escapism in 2020? 

I didn’t leave NYC throughout the pandemic, and I STILL love it here! I guess this place is truly my forever home. My love for New York grew stronger over the summer when I joined the weekly Black Lives Matter bike protests led by Street Riders. Damn, those justice rides really allowed me to experience the city in a different way. I essentially became a tourist in my own town. There was so much of the city I’d never seen before—or at least not from a bicycle surrounded by thousands of other riders. My favorite memory is cruising down the West Side Highway from the Upper West Side to Battery Park as the sun was setting on the Hudson River. I love NYC! What a town.

Where’s the first place you want to go as soon as we can travel again? 

Nashville or bust! It’ll be the girls’ trip I was supposed to take in mid-March with four close pals. (Bad timing.) At that point, I had just finished listening to Dolly Parton’s America, and I was getting psyched about visiting Dollywood IRL and chilling in the Smoky Mountains. But it’s okay; I know this is still in the future for me.

Amirah Jiwa, writer and social impact strategist

Where did you travel to or find escapism in 2020? 

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. When the world started locking down this year, I was living in Addis. I created a little work-from-home sanctuary in my room: I laid lots of fluffy rugs woven locally from recycled cotton on my floor and sat for hours in front of a huge window with the sun streaming in and a view of the mountains.

Where’s the first place you want to go as soon as we can travel again? 

The Seto Inland Sea Islands. I love contemporary art and have been dying to visit the art museums spread across the Japanese islands Naoshima and Teshima. Fingers crossed that 2021 will be the year I finally make it there—ideally via this cruise of my dreams, after a few days of eating myself silly in Tokyo.

Tiana Attride, Content Creator

Where did you travel to or find escapism in 2020? 

I traveled to London in early 2020, about a month before New York’s initial quarantine kicked off. It’s hard to believe that happened this year when it feels like it was three lifetimes ago! As for this lifetime, the only place I traveled was up to Maine for our road trip series. Personal revelations aside, that trip worked wonders for my mental health. I’ve never considered myself an outdoorsy person, but visiting Acadia National Park really helped me understand why camping, hiking, and being generally willing to get down in the dirt can be so restorative. Plus, at Huttopia Southern Maine, I started a campfire all by myself, so now I feel like I could definitely win on Survivor.

Where’s the first place you want to go as soon as we can travel again? 

Oh God, the list is neverending. After my experience in Maine and after working on a story about long-distance hikes over the summer, I’m really interested in taking some time off to hike the St. Olav Ways in Norway. Even after some extended isolation this year, I wouldn’t mind a little alone time (that is, approximately 32 days of alone time) with the fjords on the Gudbrandsdalen path. I’m ready to finally make my Japan trip happen; as the old story goes, it was supposed to happen in 2020, and then boom—pandemic. 

I also unabashedly miss going out and partying—the stuff my favorite travel stories are made of. Although I doubt we’ll be packing into any tight, sweaty spaces until at least 2022 (sigh), I’ve got Berlin at the top of my list for days on end of dancing as soon as the time is right. Imagine—by then I might even be cool enough to get into Berghain. Very exciting stuff.

Madeline Weinfield, writer

Where did you travel to or find escapism in 2020? 

I was lucky enough to spend the month of August on Maine’s Bold Coast—the rugged northern stretch of Atlantic Maine that produces the bulk of the state’s blueberries and where lobster, fresh off the boat, is just a few dollars a pound. I find this misty, rocky part of Maine even more beautiful than Acadia, and there are virtually no tourists. We hiked for miles without seeing anyone and swam alone in water so cold it stung. It felt remote and removed from the chaos of the pandemic, as if the whole coast had been washed clean by the salty air.

Where’s the first place you want to go as soon as we can travel again? 

Although part of me longs for the day when I can once again walk down a busy street of a new city, I’m still craving wide-open spaces. Newfoundland has been on my list forever, but it always gets pushed back for more far-flung destinations. Now that even going to Canada isn’t an option, I’m dreaming of this maritime province—its coastal hikes and drives, and maybe a hop over to Fogo Island. 

Hannah La Follette Ryan, creator of Subway Hands

Where did you travel to or find escapism in 2020?

I stayed in NYC all year. Cabin fever set in early in my apartment in Brooklyn, so I turned to Instagram accounts like @samyoukilis, @tinycactus, and @street.viewportraits for escape. I started listening to the BBC Newshour for world news, just to hear them say “coming to you live from London.” When I can, I take the NYC ferries instead of the subway and pretend I’m Greta Thunberg on my way to a climate conference.

Where’s the first place you want to go as soon as we can travel again? 

The list is long. The Fogo Island Inn in Newfoundland. It looks like an evil villain’s bunker at the edge of the world. I want to return to Rome and Berlin, two cities I visited in 2019 and fell in love with. There’s been a lot of time this year to think back on those trips and the nostalgia for moving freely around a new city. I’m dying to go to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art outside of Copenhagen. The first scheduled trip I have is to visit my grandfather in San Francisco. We have a date to get combo salads at Swan’s Oyster Depot with lobster and Louis sauce.

Alexandra Marvar, journalist

Where did you travel to or find escapism in 2020?

I moved from New York to Savannah, Georgia, about three years ago. My husband, a native Savannahian, has lived there most of his life. Never had either of us seen it without tourists (who, in 2018, outnumbered residents 102 to 1)— until this spring. In late March, we walked along avenues that were completely empty, some of the most touristy downtown streets absent of even a single parked car. The extreme stillness brought a Stephen King-caliber eeriness alongside a sense that, if you squinted, it could just as soon be 50 or 100 or a 150 years in the past. It was confusing, and terrifying, and a phenomenal privilege to see what a tourist town looks like with not a single tourist for just a moment, and to be safe in it, and to walk around in the fleeting mirage of it belonging only to its residents. Our neighbors, setting aside their fear of mortality to utterly revel in the vacancy of all our ward’s Airbnbs, played croquet in their whites on the square; virtually everyone who lives on our block was outside together—the soul of our block in plain view. I’ll never forget Savannah’s pin-drop silent pandemic alter ego, impossible but briefly true. I can’t imagine we’ll ever see it again—I am thankful it visited and that we had our health and solace in its company.

Where are you desperate to go as soon as we can travel again?

Before the pandemic set in, we had plans to travel to Riga, Latvia, mostly because of a bartender we met in spring of 2019: Arvis Zemanis, 2018’s World Class Baltic Bartender of the Year, who we met during his guest bartending event in the lobby bar of Ghent’s exceptionally hip 1898 The Post. Without much effort, he convinced us over a couple of Latvian currant cordial cocktails that it was a place we wanted to know more about. After all these months in captivity, my curiosity remains piqued. Venice, to see MOSE in action and to visit some of the people I discuss in my story on the future of travel for Here, also competes for post-pandemic stop number one.

Timmy Shivers, Senior Content Creator

Where did you travel to or find escapism in 2020?

I, along with the rest of my Earthing cohort, traveled together during the unforgettable year of 2020 to a place known as—drumroll—hell. It is uncertain whether or not we can say “and back” just yet. We might still be here in hell. I might still be writing this from the depths of that place we knew not that we could go. For future travelers, allow this to serve as a time-capsule of sorts: 10/10 would not recommend adding hell to your bucket list. It’s very wild and out of control and no one knows what’s going on and it seems to never end. Book that life of yours to somewhere else entirely!

Where’s the first place you want to go as soon as we can travel again? 

Literally anywhere. Japan like the rest of these people? Sure! My mom wants to see green rolling hills in Ireland, or giant snowy mountains through a train window in Switzerland—I would love to take her to those places. But at this point, as long as I was forced to show up with my passport, I think I would be content.

Nat Shields, Senior Graphic Designer at Away

Where did you travel to or find escapism in 2020? 

I have not traveled during the pandemic and have tried to stay inside my home in New York as much as possible. My way to escape has mostly been through reading, movies, and television. Everything from rereading old favorites to indulging my newfound love for reality TV, I’ve been able to get to other worlds through constant consumption.

Where’s the first place you want to go as soon as we can travel again? 

I haven’t been outside of the United States much at all, so I’m eager to go almost anywhere. I’d love to see Mexico, Japan, South Korea, and Germany. Or return to London, which is one of my favorite cities on Earth!

Chadner Navarro, writer

Where did you travel to or find escapism in 2020? 

I decided to fly out to Denver (decked out in the latest PPE fashions) to visit my sister for a couple of weeks at the end of the summer. We took a few little trips to nearby mountain towns, plus a long weekend road trip down to Sante Fe. I live in Jersey, and after barely leaving the house from mid-March to mid-September, it was truly rejuvenating to be out in nature. (For the time being, I am still in Denver. The recent uptick in COVID-19 cases throughout the country has kept me from flying back.)

Where’s the first place you want to go as soon as we can travel again? 

I’m so grateful to have a career that has made it possible for me to go to the Philippines, my home country, once a year over the last several years. That has definitely been a priority for me. Getting to semi-regularly connect to my roots and with my family members who still live there is important to me. There was no trip to the Philippines in 2020, so I hope I’ll get to go in 2021. 

Also: Paris for the croissants.

Amanda Zurita, writer and stylist

Where did you travel to or find escapism in 2020? 

Perhaps my most memorable adventure of this year ended up being one I never thought I’d take: a summer road trip from Seattle to Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks with my best friend. We perfected our camping cooking, hiked for miles, ran from a bear, and laughed our heads off for nearly two weeks. We sanitized everything and wore our masks religiously (even when those guidelines weren’t always adhered to by those around us). And, not wanting to risk eating at restaurants, we ate more fast food and picnic snacks than I have in years. Was it far from my normal type of travel? Absolutely. But it was exactly what I needed at the time and a beautiful reminder that extraordinary memories can be made in my own backyard with the people I love most.

Where’s the first place you want to go as soon as we can travel again? 

I canceled a trip to Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan this year, and I’m certainly keen to reschedule. However, if I could snap my fingers and wake up somewhere tomorrow, I’d be inhaling a plate of cacio e pepe at Roscioli in Rome or watching the light filter into La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. I’ve spent a quarter of the past eight years in Italy and Spain, and I feel what can only be described as a fierce pit of homesickness for my adopted countries. I know they’ll be there when it’s safe to travel again, and I’ll savor every moment of my return.

Ally Betker, Creative Director, Content

Where did you travel to or find escapism in 2020? 

My partner is Australian, and we are incredibly fortunate to be closing out the year in Sydney with his family. After a very involved visa exemption process and two weeks in government-mandated hotel quarantine (you love to see it!), we are drowning in gratitude for safe indoor dining (at Fred’s, Continental Deli, and Sean’s Panorama), dance floors, and lots of hugs with people we love. We’ll be returning to New York at the end of January with sand in our suitcases (mostly from Bronte, Balmoral, and Freshwater beaches) and a great sense of relief after getting to live where the virus is under control, even for just a little while.

Where’s the first place you want to go as soon as we can travel again? 

I join others on this list with a deep desire to get to Japan! I had planned to go for the first time in March of this year, and the hype was, shall we say, strong. Tokyo, Kyoto, and Naoshima Island are top of my list once it’s safe to get back out there.

Tricia Hersey, founder of The Nap Ministry

Where did you travel to or find escapism in 2020?

This year, I traveled to Inverness, California, and visited Point Reyes National Seashore in February, just a month before COVID-19 began showing up in the United States. It was my first time there and I was blown away by the scenery. The trees, mountains, and ocean were so beautiful. I stopped at so many cute bookstores and restaurants (including one of my favorites, Cowgirl Creamery), and the beach grounded me in a way that I still feel today. 

Where are you desperate to go as soon as we can travel again?
When it’s safe to travel, I would love to go to Jamaica. It’s my all-time favorite place to visit; I have been five times, and it feels like a second home. I love the hospitality of the people, the food, and the island vibes. It’s truly a special place and I miss it deeply.

Claudia Gori, photographer

Where did you travel to or find escapism in 2020?

During the summer after Italy’s initial lockdown, I took a long journey by foot along the Tiber River together with five other photographers. The collective project was called Oltre Tevere. It was a visual exploration of the river from the source to the mouth, covering a distance of about 400 kilometers. I covered the first part of the path, walking about 150 kilometers in seven days from Monte Fumaiolo, the place where the Tiber begins, to Perugia (Umbria). It was an amazing experience, a new way of traveling through places I would never see driving in a car: mountains paths, natural pools among ravines, never-ending tobacco fields, small villages, abandoned churches. Traveling by foot is a slow practice that has allowed me to rethink the way I’m used to traveling—discovering a new way that is more conscious, more reflexive, cheaper, and often funnier. After quarantine, it was also a good way to escape from crowded beaches, hotels, and tourist sites. 

Where’s the first place you want to go as soon as we can travel again? 

When the pandemic started, I was about to leave for New York for three weeks. I had to cancel my trip. New York is a special destination to me. I went there for the first time when I was 22, lived there for three months, and then never got to go back. I promised myself that I would return to NYC when I needed it, ’cause there’s no other city in the world that gives me such energy. Well, in March I needed that energy so bad! I will definitely go back to New York as soon as I’ll have the chance.

Lesley Lau, photographer

Where did you travel to or find escapism in 2020?

I was very lucky and was sent to photograph two travel stories at the beginning of the year before lockdowns were introduced—thank you, commissioners! The first trip was to the southern coast of Sri Lanka, exploring the beaches and the jungle. The highlight was whale-watching in a four-person light aircraft—an incredible experience. The second trip was traveling around the snowy, mountainous landscapes of Switzerland by train. Dream jobs.

Where’s the first place you want to go as soon as we can travel again? 

Hong Kong (my birthplace) is first on my list of places to go to in 2021. My flights were canceled earlier this year, so I haven’t been able to see any of my family. I will be greedily overeating all my favorite foods as soon as I land.

Stephanie Danler, author of Sweetbitter and Stray: A Memoir

Where did you travel to or find escapism in 2020?

I’ve never been more grateful to live in California or more in love with this volatile and beautiful state. This year, we stayed at a home in Sea Ranch on the Mendocino coast. Sea Ranch is a kind of utopian community originally built in the 1960s with the goal of living lightly off the land. It’s full of trails, wildlife, and rugged coastline. It’s one of those enchanted places. If we weren’t in a pandemic, we would have packed each day full of activities, but instead, we stuck close to the house in the redwoods, building forts in the trees with our son, watching the light change.

Where are you desperate to go as soon as we can travel again?

I find that I want to return to places I love and deepen that relationship as opposed to striking out to new places.  I sometimes feel that I could spend the rest of my life exploring the Mediterranean and not feel like I was missing much outside of that. I’m thinking about Sicily, about the Balearics and Greek islands. And I’m always plotting a way back to Spain.

Amy Yeung, founder of Orenda Tribe

Where are you desperate to go as soon as we can travel again?

This year, I fell in love with road trips again. To just pick up and go to reconnect to my ancestral lands in the Southwest has been such a healing experience. It was like “landscape color therapy” to deal with a lot of the emotions and feelings that came with the pandemic—only requiring safe masks and hand sanitizer, as well as planning my routes to assure I was respectful of the curfews on Indigenous lands. These drives gave me time in solitude to reflect and to focus my intentions on the critical aid work we do for our Diné communities.

Where are you desperate to go as soon as we can travel again?

This pandemic has made me realize how precious time is, so I plan on going to some places I’ve only dreamt about: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and Tbilisi, Georgia, as I’ve never explored that part of the world for textiles and vintage. And I’ll probably take a foodie trip to Copenhagen to get cardamom buns at Juno the Bakery and take time to ride bikes, eat, drink, and celebrate life and no more Zoom calls!

Jason Ward, birder and host of Birds of North America

Where did you travel to or find escapism in 2020?

Since the shutdown, I’ve only taken a plane to one location. I went to Southeastern Arizona in September for a birding trip. Since I spent most of my time out there birding, I fortunately didn’t bump into a ton of people, but I saw some amazing wildlife. 

Where are you desperate to go as soon as we can travel again?

As soon as we can travel again, I’m looking forward to finally going to Hawaii and Spain—two places I was supposed to visit during the past two years, but ultimately couldn’t due to things that were out of my control. C’mon universe!

Thomas Albdorf, photographer

This year, I traveled outside of my home country of Austria on business trips to shoot in Italy and London a few times. In those cases, activities outside the studio were basically nonexistent due to COVID-19.

Where are you desperate to go as soon as we can travel again?

I have MUCH to say here, but New York and LA are my most sought after destinations.

Carvell Wallace, writer

Where did you travel to or find escapism in 2020?

Locally, in Northern California, my family has done a lot of road tripping to the ocean, exploring forests, seeing redwood trees, sitting on the beach alone, listening to music, and arguing in the car. What have I taken away from these experiences? Fatigue. Fatigue with the reality of being far away from so many people I love; fatigue with my family and community being so spread out. I keep thinking of the old saying from the 90s: think globally, act locally. I’m missing the “act locally” part. 

Where are you desperate to go as soon as we can travel again?

When travel is available, the thing I’m most desperate for is not to see places, but to see people. I want to visit my extended family, particularly aunts and uncles who are aging. I want to visit friends from years ago with whom I have partially lost touch due to the circumstances of life. I want to be close to the people I love and am loved by. 

Rebecca Lee, illustrator

Where did you travel to or find escapism in 2020?

I wasn’t able to travel this year, but I was definitely able to find escapism in New York City where I live. I live just a few blocks from Central Park so I started taking daily walks there in March when the shelter in place order began. In the beginning, it was solitary runs around the reservoir or through the Ramble. When the COVID-19 cases were at their peak in the city, there were temporary hospital tents set up in the park which was sobering to see.  But when it finally became safer to meet in small groups, I had socially distanced picnics with friends in the park. Maybe it was because of the year we had, but autumn in the park was especially beautiful this year.  I’m planning on staying in New York through the holiday season and can’t wait to see the park transform again in the winter.

Where are you desperate to go as soon as we can travel again?

I desperately want to travel somewhere known for majestic landscapes like Hawaii or New Zealand. After being cooped up in my apartment in the city all year, I have been daydreaming about the sea and the mountains. (Plus, it will be easy to socially distance out in nature.)

Sarah Sax, multimedia journalist 

Where did you travel to or find escapism in 2020?

This August I stayed closer to home and traveled to Maine to celebrate my birthday. We ended up doing a lot of things that were naturally socially distanced, including an incredible multi-day kayaking trip with Portland Paddle and a wonderful outdoor dining experience at the Brooklin Inn. Staying closer to home has definitely made me realize how incredibly rich and varied the histories and cultures are around me—they just require a slightly different kind of research.

Where are you desperate to go as soon as we can travel again?

I can’t wait to go back to Brazil. It’s a country I had just started reporting on before the pandemic and have been steadily falling in love with. During the lockdowns, I even started learning Portuguese! The country is endlessly fascinating, and so much fun. There’s always some impromptu samba session at a local bar, and delicious food like pão de queijo, which I have yet to find where I live.

Zoe Mendelson, writer

Where did you travel to or find escapism in 2020?

I went camping on a friend’s property for my birthday in July. We rented an absurdly big van to transport a few friends and rode the whole way with all the windows down, even on the highway, and got there with some interesting hairdos. We each had our own tents but were still able to hang out pretty easily since we were outside at all times. It felt so nourishing to be around my loved ones! I took away from it that time spent with friends is up there with food and water in terms of things I think humans need. 

Where are you desperate to go as soon as we can travel again?
CHICAGO! I just want to spend time with my grandma. She is the coolest and she is getting old and I miss her so much.

Christina Sturdivant Sani, journalist

Where did you travel to or find escapism in 2020?

This year, I spent more time walking, biking, and exploring my neighborhood. I’ve lived in Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia, for more than three years, and I’m forever grateful to live in such a beautiful historic district. From the expansive courtyard and towering trees at the center of my apartment complex to the cobblestone roads lined with boutique shops and green spaces on the edge of the Potomac River, this serene community has kept me at peace during these uncertain times.

Where are you desperate to go as soon as we can travel again?

Paris. Albeit cliche, I’d love to go to celebrate my four-year wedding anniversary with my love during Nuit Blanche (if it happens) next fall. 

Alex Temblador, novelist and freelance writer

Where did you travel to or find escapism in 2020?

I took an 11-day trip from Dallas to the West Texas city of San Angelo, then south to the border areas of Del Rio, Laredo, Rio Grande City, and McAllen, before turning north to Bandera. My grandmother and father were born in the border town of Laredo, and though I’ve been to that part of Texas before, I hadn’t quite properly explored the cultural, historical, and natural attractions that it has to offer. To be honest, not many people go to that part of Texas for tourism besides birders, and I wanted to find out what we were missing. I learned that there are beautiful places and attractions in Texas that have long been overlooked in guidebooks, histories that have been forgotten or rewritten, and people who are themselves a mix of competing ideas and beliefs, yet who have somehow set those things aside to keep their communities afloat.

Where are you desperate to go as soon as we can travel again?
Two areas of the world are calling to my inner traveler: The first is Guadalajara, Mexico, a vibrant artistic city from which some of my family hails. I’d love to spend a few weeks connecting with extended family while also practicing my Spanish. Perhaps I’d set aside extra time to visit small cities nearby like Tequila and Tlaquepaque, before taking a further trip to Merida. The second place I’d love to visit is Eastern Europe. It’s my hope to do a tour of many of the countries that make up that part of the world, as I’m fascinated by various cultures, natural landmarks, and history of that region.

Alicia Carter and Haley France, photojournalists

Where did you travel to or find escapism in 2020?

After a multitude of COVID-19 cancellations, we created our own work and freelanced. For two months, we traveled the U.S. by car photographing rural post offices for Here issue 14. Our low-budget camping and COVID-19-safe lifestyle produced a hilarious, adventurous story, but also uniquely connected us to the environment and to the complex history of the USPS. Our favorite stop was Bandelier National Monument near Santa Fe, New Mexico. We explored the ancestral pueblo homes, kivas, rock paintings, and petroglyphs entirely alone! Our trip was unconventional and allowed us to learn more about our country, its long history, and the challenges and resilience of its citizens. 

Where are you desperate to go as soon as we can travel again?

We would love to be in Kenai, Alaska, filming a postponed documentary on climate resilience. From witnessing humpback whale and salmon migrations and spotting grizzly bears to hiking in the mountains and kayaking near glaciers, the connection to nature and the impact of climate change feels so much stronger there. 

Yudi Ela, photographer

Where did you travel to or find escapism in 2020?

After a full month of isolation, I drove for two hours and made the escape to Joshua Tree, California, where my good friend was staying. When I hit the open road, I felt independent and free! I felt safe! Safe from all the fear that infested L.A. At the time, the protests were fresh in everyone’s life. We joined a small BLM protest on the side of a busy street. The mission was to express our support for the movement in a small town like Joshua Tree, where racism may sometimes go unchecked. We were hated, booed, and hissed at. It was surreal. After the protest, we went on a hike and climbed some boulders. Sitting at the top of the rock, it felt like time stopped and that all of the worries of the world was behind us. After dinner, I went to sleep in a camper parked outside the house. No electricity; I found the bed by candlelight. I fell asleep looking through the skylight at a million stars and listening to the sound of coyotes howling. Although my trip was only for one day and one night, my experience was one of the highlights of 2020. I realized that all I needed was to be around other people—people who love and care about me!

Where are you desperate to go as soon as we can travel again?

I want to go to Bali. I’m desperate for a change of scenery and different quality of life. Away from capitalism, materialism—and my cell phone.

[Editor’s Note: To protect public health this year, we’ve all had to adjust the way we travel—and our community members made ample note of how they did so in their original submissions. The below responses have been condensed for space. Always do your research in advance and adhere to local guidelines, CDC recommendations, and COVID-19 safety guides regarding travel during the pandemic.

Here does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.]