Rethinking travel
Iwrestled with the dilemma of publishing our cover story. Is it not insensitive to publish a travel piece at a time when we cannot travel? So I read the article. During their journey, Mary Hannah and Andy (owners of the Defender on cover), while in the middle of a white-out near the Arctic Circle, see someone standing next to the road, trying to wave them down. They stop, the man’s vehicle has left the road a few miles away and his son is still in it. He isn’t wearing any decent winter gear nor does he have any blankets, the chance of him freezing to death without help, is very real.
Andy and Mary Hannah give the man a lift to his son, the pair embrace, and the couple use their Warn winch to pull the stranded vehicle back on the road. I shed a tear, maybe because as a dad I would not want my son to ever be in that situation. That though is not why I published the story.
I read on, through all the happy experiences and then (spoiler alert!) misfortune on having their Defender loaded onto the back of an AA truck on the way back to Stockholm. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. This whole story made me realise how much I miss adventuring and exploring in my Land Rover.
It also gave me belief, that I too could do that same trip when the world opens up again. I have never been one for the cold and always thought the Arctic Circle was this extreme, remote location, but Mary Hannah and Andy make it seem do-able. The cover story is also one of hope. The way we travel will be very different for a while yet, even once the lockdown eases don’t expect crowded Spanish beaches and packed hotels. Think camping on a remote beach in Scotland or a private forest in Shropshire, with a few good mates or even just with your family. There is no reason why we can’t self-isolate in nature, provided we do so without breaking the guidelines at the time.
The couple did not do anything illegal. They contacted the various embassies of the countries they were travelling through, to make sure they were allowed to travel, then once returning to the UK they went into self-isolation for ten days. They saw a window of opportunity and went for it.
Thanks Mary Hannah and Andy for sharing your remarkable story with us. Who knows, maybe before long you might be able to go and see the Arctic Circle for yourself?