Typically I get the travel bug in January. I start researching, planning, and dreaming of summer escapes during the dreary winter months that seem to go on endlessly. You’ll recall that my epic Croatia-cation was mapped out during my snow-bound days armed with hot coffee and lots of time to think about travel.

Although I enjoy the process of planning well-ahead, this year was different. In January, covid numbers were higher than they’d been in a long time, and the idea of putting together a vacation itinerary seemed foolish. As the months wore on, I tossed a few ideas around in my head, but never landed on anything finite.

Things were changing so quickly.

Some countries would close their borders with minimal notice.

Other places saw extreme spikes in variant cases that made me nervous about getting stuck abroad.

But finally, at the end of July, I made a last-minute decision to spend two weeks in Panama.

Panama boasts beaches, rainforests, easy accessibility, and a whole bunch of biodiversity that made my science-teacher brain very intrigued. I quickly used my flight credits from last summer and without further ado, confirmed my adventure would commence in only a few days.

Except for a sailing trip to kick off my trip, I was pretty much going to “wing-it”. I did enough research to be aware of various places and activities available, but I wanted to make decisions based on what other travelers suggested and how I was feeling within the moment.

As I waited in the airport for my early flight, I ruminated on how different this trip would be from the others. I wasn’t certain where exactly I’d be sleeping or how I’d get from Point A to Point B. I didn’t know the “top restaurants in ____” or which excursions were the best bang for my buck.

I slowly rolled my minimalist carry-on onto the plane and decided I was ready for the unknowns.

I was ready for adventure.