Photo stories
Four-Wheeled Nomad: shares her and Jason Spa ord’s experience of being travellers during Covid-19
It happened in a blink of an eye as the news of coronavirus slapped the taste from our mouths. A new paradigm surfaced in the frantic hope to control a planet-wide spread. Bar essential businesses, the economy came to a grinding halt as borders closed. People were forced into lockdown, furloughed from their jobs and left wondering how their strange new every day would materialise. The global outlook was dire, not least for us who live to travel whose only realisable destination would be Costa del Living Room.
Travelling together since 2000, Jason and I had long taken for granted the privilege to roam. Life together on motorcycles from Argentina to Alaska, for instance, was an extraordinary four-year adventure, packed with more highs than lows. Suddenly, our world shrunk to the size of a pea. Years of sacri ce to facilitate a location-independent life had to be shelved. It was time to gure out what to do in this unprecedented now.
The year 2020 commenced with traction when we bade our farewells to White Rhino, our Toyota Hilux. Off he voyaged as we sent him packing to Cape Town – six months into our Cape-to-Cape photographic expedition from Norway to South Africa. Our 4WD had been situated on African soil for one week when we instructed the shipping agent to send him back to England. An expensive exercise, but one chalked down to ‘stuff happens, right?’ The upside: we woke up this morning. My heart goes out to all those adversely affected by Covid-19.
Pandemic’s silver lining
Someone wise once said to me, ‘Never be too stupid to be poor’. In unparalleled times, I guess living below our means struck a chord with me. Like the world over, we had all this time but nothing to spend it on. Momentarily, we thought, we inhabited a motorhome, which ended up being for 13 months. The pace of life receded to a glacial one – driving home the need to want what we had.
Unexpectedly, on the land we found ourselves situated, I spent therapeutic afternoons sawing rewood, learned to weave rope rugs, and operated a 36-geared tractor to mow the four-acre paddock. Jase made myriad improvements to our new digs, and some interesting ones on his hair; so bad had the Yeti look become! We embraced yoga and meditation on an intensive level and still uphold those good habits. Ultimately, I think we now better appreciate the simple things in life, have become more consciously aware. Between lockdowns, I dabbled in paddleboarding but preferred wild swimming, and went plant-based. No offence, but my vegan ‘Corona cream tea’ was to die for.
During autumn, we sought frontline jobs in the NHS while World War Bog Roll ensued. Also, it made sense to repurpose our content: how-to photography skills, inspirational based photographic content for staying creative during a pandemic, and guides for future travelling endeavours. I’m thrilled that our efforts enabled us to enact some smart property decisions.
What now?
Now that travel to some countries is nally permitted, multiple trips to Scotland continue to see us sink into our favourite UK region while concurrently undertaking some photographic work for clients. Next year India may be on the cards.
I’m sure you can connect when I say many of us thrive on adventure, endlessly rugged, near or far. What keeps us going is knowing that we are establishing a new norm. The pandemic is part of the path that will take you somewhere else. So why not occupy the quieter moments with fewer distractions and outside in uences? Take the time to ask yourself what it is you want to do with your life and enjoy the process of pursuing it. Who knows, your new aspiration may lead to something fresh and exciting. Covid-19, for us, has honed the realisation that there is no time to hang around and overthink how life should go. It has happened and it’s here to stay. If nothing else, we have stopped trying to matter. It has made us content to simply live.