No Hands Across the Water: The Cancellation of Plans for International Travel

I was planning to go to London this year to present at an international conference of librarians and connect with librarians from all over the world. This conference is only held every three years, and it is an important forum to share thoughts, present ideas and projects, network and build international collaborations, and plan joint projects. Doing so through email and Zoom is a poor substitute for this type of one-on-one conference. I travel internationally frequently, and I was planning to fit in a trip to Ireland before the conference, to visit with the land of my ancestors. I’ve been involved in a genealogy project along with some of my relatives, and my trip to Ireland would have given me the opportunity to do some family research. When I travel, I travel very close to the ground: staying in small B&Bs or hotels, dining in local establishments, traveling by bus or rail, and really trying to fit into the community rather than be a tourist to the extent possible. International travel is so important for this divisive world these days to foster understanding and cooperation both personally and professionally. So the cancellation of my trip meant not only the loss of some fun times but also speaks to a greater loss.

January 24, 2021

Sharon E. Hunt

Sharon E. Hunt

HST580

Arizona State University

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English Travel

English Technology

English Social Distance

librarian

conference

genealogy

international

London

cancelled

travel

conference

genealogy

international

01/24/2021

02/11/2021

02/15/2021

02/24/2021

3/15/21

08/02/2022

09/17/2024

01/24/2021