Why start a Travel Blog in the middle of a worldwide pandemic? Because we are explorers at heart, and we love the journey. We’re betting we’re not alone!
By: Les Heintz
Ready to Travel?
I’m old enough to be able to say I can remember when Vince Lombardi coached the Green Bay Packers. My Dad took me to my first game in 1967. The Packers beat the Cleveland Browns 55-7 that day. Lombardi was bigger than life and I was hooked.
53 years later, as America faces the COVID-19 crisis, I can’t help but think of an iconic Lombardi quote.
“What the hell is going on out there?”
Like most of you, I’ve spent the past 8 months pretty much in isolation as part of the national lockdown. I’ve learned to communicate with clients, co-workers, friends and family via Zoom, WebEx and FaceTime.
I’ve purchased hand sanitizer, facemasks and latex gloves. I’ve got so many rolls of toilet paper that it’s embarrassing.
I’ve also done something that my family and friends must think is completely crazy. I launched this travel blog and website in the middle of a pandemic that has crushed the travel industry worldwide.
Actually, I’m not alone in this wild ride. My partner in this venture is my partner in life… my wife Anne. Anne is an experienced and highly respected travel agent based in Washington, DC. I run a media firm and have produced many TV series for national cable and broadcast networks. For the last 10 years, we’ve flirted with an idea like this but never followed through.
“It would be great,” we would tell each other. We could combine her experience and contacts in travel with my skill and connections in the media. We have literally been sketching out this idea on cocktail napkins for the last decade over drinks at exotic locations like the Maldives, the Caribbean and the Amalfi Coast in Italy.
It was always a fun conversation, but I don’t think either of us expected it to become anything more than that.
In May of this year, as the country was fully shut down, Anne said something over dinner that forced our hand.
“I need to get on a plane, I need to stay in a hotel and I need get into a rental car,” she said. “I need to show my clients that travel is still possible and be able to tell them what they should expect when they do!”
That started a conversation that lasted several hours. We talked about the fact that travel is vital to this country and the rest of the world… for both business and pleasure. We talked about how Americans are explorers at heart and about how important travel is to people’s state of mind.
We wrote down everything, but this time we wrote our plans in notebooks instead of on cocktail napkins! The result is the site your visiting right now.
TravelAnne.com is a platform dedicated to the power of exploration.
It is intended to give travelers the kind of information they need to make informed, responsible and even inspired decisions. When you are ready, we hope our material will help you feel comfortable getting back on the road.
Our vision is to create a platform dedicated to people who love the journey. It’s a site for explorers who happily suffer from wander-lust!
I started this column writing about Vince Lombardi, a childhood hero who I’ve grown to admire as an adult.
Lombardi may be one of the most quoted men of my lifetime. My Dad used those quotes to teach me life lessons before he passed away. One of his favorite Lombardi quotes applies today.
“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.”
America and the rest of the world has been knocked down by this virus. At some point, we will get up. Like you, I pray that it’s sooner rather than later.
We need to remember, it’s all still out there. There is a whole world out there waiting to be explored. Some of you are out there right now. Others need a bit more time. Either way, we are here for you, because above all else we love the journey!
When you're ready to travel again, we're here to help!
**Les Heintz an independent television producer and media consultant based in Washington, DC. He is Executive Producer of multiple television series including “The McLaughlin Group” on Public Broadcasting. He is Co-founder & Executive Editor of TravelAnne.com. Follow him on Twitter @LesHeintz57 or email Les at Les@TravelAnne.com