Fifteen minutes past our lunch appointment, Massimo rolled into my house cradling a tray of home baked chocolate brownies and a tub of freshly whipped cream. Massimo is an insanely good cook and I never turn down anything he brings. Kissing me on both cheeks, he said, “So sorry for being late. Business is crazy. We’ve never been so busy. People are booking to travel again: Galapagos, Greece, France, Italy. So busy!” Massimo is the CEO of a boutique adventure travel company based in Berkeley, U.S., and this is what we’ve all been waiting to hear for the past two-and-a-half years since the Covid-19 pandemic started.
After lunch, I opened my WeChat, and took in updates from some of my WildChina colleagues who were stuck in Shanghai. Jane’s page said, “Last time I went to the office, it was March 10. On days when one can only chat online, there’s no point in tearing days off the calendar. Today is May 25 (2022) and the pages have become a stack half an inch thick.” Jane’s colleague Ella sounded more optimistic: “Tourism is on pause, but I believe this is temporary. Our borders will reopen one day.”
