James Walshe reckons it’s time to hit the road again
‘The real road trip is back at long, long last’
I’ve spent most of my adult life exploring the planet but that changed a few years ago when suddenly, in this confusing, upside-down world, it felt like the days of effortless travel were over. Whatever your thoughts on war, politics, and lockdowns, I am not the only one who reckons the 2020s have been a bit rubbish so far. However, despite scarily high fuel prices, I’ve noticed a flurry of road trip adventures taking place this summer. Heart-warming images of charity runs, club outings to Le Mans and scenic holidays such as ‘Minors on Tour’ have been popping up on my screen – proof that once you have found a way to dodge the toxicity, armchair expertise and embarrassing bodgery, social media can be a surprising source of inspiration.
For two years, I’ve been living my travel aspirations through Youtube and Instagram videos featuring an array of exciting pursuits, from shots taken by drone above Norwegian fjords at dawn to obscure dash cam footage of commuters in Los Angeles traffic. I also subscribe to a man on Tiktok, who broadcasts live as he delivers parcels to villages in the Valais region of Switzerland. He never says anything. I simply have him on in the background as I work, but I’m right there in the passenger seat for my daily dose of the Alps.
It’s summer ‘22 and outside of my stalker-like digital travel antics, the real road trip is back. I was so inspired when a friend told me that he was off to Spain in his Jaguar, I threw a tent into the back of my 2CV and drove to the Alps for a budget break. It didn’t end well, (see Next Issue page on p154) but that’s not the point. It may be a tumultuous world, but we’re still free. If funds allow, hit the road and enjoy the feeling!