The Anguish of Travel’s Lost Summer

Few things hold such a power on our memories than summertime does: Aperol Spritz, an ice cream cone, plunging underwater for the first time on a scorching day. And nothing is more synonymous with a carefree summer than travel. Back in the early spring, when much of the world was asked to stay indoors, it was likely the promise of a summer vacation that got many through the days inside. It's easy to forget that some initial lockdown orders were in place just for two or three weeks. Stay home now, the sentiment went, so we can enjoy the sweet relief of summer later. But months on, we now know the Covid-19 crisis is, unfortunately, not that simple. It's less a matter of returning to normal, and more finding a way to continue our lives with profoundly altered norms. And yet, as the temperature heats up and tra