Travel in 2021 Workshop
wherever you are
Thursday, February 11th • 5-7PM EST
Join Wander Women Retreats founder Alexandra Baackes and ER doctor and functional medicine specialist Dr. Valerie LeComte for a special travel workshop on travel during the age of COVID-19. This exclusive, two hour LIVE workshop led by Alex and overseen by Valerie, a Wander Women alumni, will cover topics like safety, ethics, industry changes — and the truth about what it’s like to travel both domestically and internationally right now. We’ll also leave time for a Q + A to address all your concerns and specific questions!
Ready to sign up already? Jump to enrollment, now! Or, keep reading…
We know travel is a hot button issue as we enter 2021. But the numbers are clear — anywhere from half a million to over a million travelers are passing through TSA checkpoints each day, with countless others transiting by other car, train, and beyond. It’s a global world, and whether we are taking a trip for work, for love, for family obligations, for relocation, for mental health, for education, or yes, even for a dose of joy or hope, there are special considerations to take into account to mitigate risk, comply with health guidelines and restrictions, and make the best of riding the wave of this weird new world!
Whether you’re considering a short road trip or a long-haul international journey, and planning for now or for the future, this workshop will help you plan for a smart and healthy trip that takes into account the wellness of both you and the communities around you.
Confused over which travel insurance covers COVID? Wonder who’s still blocking middle seats? Unclear on what destinations are even open to travelers right now? There’s a lot of misinformation out there right now about everything from vaccines to testing to government restrictions to airline refund policies — and we looking forward to digging into the data and science and sharing our personal experiences from this past year, too. While we don’t have a crystal ball and Wanderland HQ — it’s on backorder — we’re also going to share our predictions for how the industry will rebuild and what the travel industry will look like in 2021 and beyond.
The Details
This exclusive travel workshop with Alex and Dr. LeComte will be held on Thursday, February 11th, from 5-7PM EST (that’s 2-4PM PST or 10-12AM GMT). The cost for access for the live workshop is $30, and participants will also receive a recording for additional viewings.
Bonus: We’re also giving away one Wander Women On Demand retreat to one participant. That’s a $75 value — and you can keep it, or gift it to someone else if you win!
As with all of our retreats, we’ll be donating a percentage of our profits to a charity. This time, we’ll be supporting Feeding America, chosen by Dr. Valerie for their hard work supporting families financially set back by COVID-19. As a small business, we love paying it forward thanks to your support!
Workshop Topics
We’re looking forward to jumping into this compelling conversation with all of you. Below is the list of topics we plan to cover during the workshop — but we want to hear from you too! If there are any topics or destinations you want to chat about, feel free to send us an email or bring your question to the event for the Q + A at the end.
How Travel Has Changed: The travel industry as a whole — normally contributing 9 trillion dollars to the world’s GDP — unequivocally changed over the past year. Alex will discuss the impacts on the individual and systemic levels and our predictions on when — or if — things will ever go back to “normal” in travel.
Ethics: SHOULD you travel right now? A sticky subject — let’s dive in.
Safety: Safety practices vary from city to city, state to state, country to country. Alex will go over how to mitigate the risk and what safety protocols she’s researched and used over the past year. What’s “sanitation theater” and what’s really effective? Dr. Val will weigh in!
Destinations: If you’re flexible in your destination, where are you even allowed to go right now? With closed borders, constantly shifting restrictions, and fluctuating COVID rates, research — and where you get your info — is more important than ever right now. We’ll also discuss domestic travel at length.
Transportation: If you’re ready to fly, the airport and flight experience will look a little different than the last time you traveled. With numerous studies now released on the effects of air travel during COVID, we’ll discuss what to expect before, during, and after, as well as transport on the ground once you’ve arrived. We’ll go over various airline polices and how to take advantage of flexible bookings. Taking low-risk road trips will also be discussed.
Activities and Dining: Alex will share what to expect and how to make the most of enjoying your destination while supporting vulnerable businesses as you go.
What to Pack: We’ll go over a detailed packing list, Alex’s go-to brands for masks and sanitizers, and her one favorite item that you might not have thought to pack.
Testing: Stay positive, test negative! This very important segment of the workshop will answer questions like: what are the different kinds of COVID tests? Where can I get them? What are they like? Alex and Dr. Valerie will give some insider tips and tricks.
Vaccine: The COVID vaccine will undoubtedly affect travel in 2021 and beyond. We’ll talk through our expectations for vaccine rollout and vaccine travel restrictions in the coming years, break down the different vaccines available, and address any concerns you may have about receiving it.
Q + A: We’ll close out our workshop with time for all of your deepest questions, concerns, and feedback!
Learn With Us
For this experience, you’ll be learning from Alex Baackes as your host and Dr. Valerie LeComte as our unofficial Wander Women doctor!
Alexandra Baackes is the founder of Wander Women Retreats and Alex in Wanderland and will lead as the travel expert during the discussion. Since March of 2020, Alex has touched down in four countries, traveled across six states, and taken dozens of (negative!) COVID tests. After a decade in the travel industry, she is looking forward to taking on the challenge of adapting to a new world, supporting others in the struggling small business community, and helping wanderlust-ers continue to navigate the world in a safe and respectful manner.
Dr. Valerie LeComte is a board certified emergency medicine doctor. She did medical school and emergency medicine residency at Midwestern University in Chicago, as well as extra training in integrative medicine and acupuncture. She currently practices rural emergency medicine as well as integrative medicine. Prior to 2020, she traveled as much as possible, including Wander Women retreats to Egypt and the Dominican Republic with Alex. Since then, Valerie has continued to fly to rural Michigan for work, and enjoyed local travel around her home in Colorado.
Join Us
Once payment is complete, you’ll receive a confirmation email with an invitation to the event. We’ll be there for you with any issues, comments, or questions over email!
F.A.Q.
Why are you encouraging people to travel right now? I’m really mad about this!
We understand that for some, the idea that others are traveling right now is an upsetting idea.
We are simply here to share our knowledge, and give our audience the tools if they have to or want to travel now, or just want something to look forward to for the future!
There is not going to be a magical green light or a big switch to flip that magically restarts the global travel industry. It’s going to be a complex calculation of the risks, reward, and circumstances for a good long while. People travel for an enormously complex web of reasons, and we hope the information we present and the discussion that ensues will help our community plan for the future and make the best decisions in the most informed and safe way possible — because we don’t believe in abstinence only education.
Is this event for women only?
Nope! While our virtual retreats were gender-specific, everyone is welcome at this workshop.
I’m in a different time zone! Can I still participate?
If you’re interested in this topic, but can’t make it due to time zone issues, we will send you a recording of the workshop. Feel free to send over any questions ahead of time so we can answer them during the Q + A portion.
Will this sell out?
Nope, there’s no limit on the number of attendees!
I still have more questions. Who do I contact about that?
You can reach Alex at alex@alexinwanderland.com.