The Disappointment of Cancelled trips

Oh, I can feel your sadness. This is a good place to air your grief, as many of us understand what it means to cancel a major trip after so much planning.
Can you do something fun that is local?

Life has a way of throwing in unfortunate and unexpected detours, and the disappointments always sting (especially when it seems like they come one after the next). But they are temporary, and you'll undoubtedly see your way through it. I think you should be commended for making a difficult, responsible decision that is focused on the long-term. Shoring up finances is most important and you rightly recognized that.

You'll get through this, and when the context looks brighter and you feel more secure and ready, you'll be back making plans again. Until then, hang in there! You did the right thing. It's ok and understandable to mourn a hard decision.

I am so sorry. I know how awful that feels. I can offer this, you have down some planning on a couple different trips. When you are ready and able to travel you already have some plans made. I had to cancel a trip to Spain/France during COVID. Last fall, we were able to do it and most of the trip was already planned. Still, I know it stings. Best to you.

I understand that very well. I had many paid for trips cancelled after Covid and it was beyond depressing to have nowhere to go and the hassles of getting refunds etc. Some of those trips are now years away from being rescheduled . But what I had to tell myself in spring of 2020 and 2021 was to not focus on all that was lost but turn to what I could do.

A friend and I did some local and regional road trips those years to places we hadn’t been. We had a great time at some national parks and other sites that I wouldn’t have gotten to had my original trips held. So, can you find some places to explore close to home in the meantime until those big plans can resume? Even new restaurants and new backroads and new museums etc help to mend the spirits a bit. And if not that, new travel books to read, travel shows or documentaries or just anything that hints at adventure.

douglas, I'm so sorry. I know exactly how this feels. Last month I was forced to cancel my trip to Spain 5 hours before I was due to leave for the airport. Although mine was a medical reason, I was inconsolable for days afterwards. I thought about posting on here but, like you, didn't want to be a 'downer.' I should've realized this is the perfect place to vent about this sort of thing because who else would understand so well.

Put away the travel stuff for a week or two and focus on other things if you can. Also, it helped me a bit to call it "postponing" the trip instead of "canceling."

I'm sorry this happened-how disappointing! My current paradigm is to be happy when I can go on a trip, but realize that it could be derailed by sickness(mine or my traveling companions). I think we all got spoiled by how easy a lot of things were pre-Covid.

How disappointing to have yet another cancellation. A small part of me woupnders if it isn't perhaps a mix3d blessing...given your earlier question and the unknown of traveling with your friend and his mom.

When I was working, travel was pretty all absorbing. Even if I didn't have a trip planned, I would while away the winter in The Great White North by researching other travels and pencilling them into spreadsheets. Then Covid hit, many trips were cancelled, and I retired. I realized then that travel was an escape from work and its all consuming day-to-day. At one stage I had to face the question of what I would do if I could never travel again? Coming up with fulfilling alternatives helped with that 'no travel depression'. It also helped direct me in retirement activities to develop now in preparation for the day when I cannot travel. That day is inevitable for all of us.
I am not a black and white type personality and have spent a lot of life compromising, so I would ask whether you can do the same. If Europe won't work, travel within North America. Admire the vast country you live in with its diverse geography. I wonder if you realize just how lucky you are to have the robust parks and forestry systems you have in the USA? Come to Quebec City for a touch of old France. Practice your Spanish in Oaxaca. They are worlds away, but only a few hours away....though the latter is vastly cheaper than Quebec.

I understand how disappointing this is for you, but maybe it was a blessing in disguise. I believe you had some reservations about traveling with your friend and their mom. When you can plan another trip maybe it will be one that you want to do and you won’t have to be the tour guide or hand hold anyone else. I can tell you from my own experiences on a couple of trips that being in that situation isn’t always good and can lead to a trip that is not what you wished it would be.

. Even though it is disappointing, how nice that the news of the canceled project came before you had purchased any tickets! Hang in there, I know another opportunity will arise. You know you have a large number of people who are here to support you whenever you need a little encouragement.

I had to “postpone” a trip in May for something unexpected and hope to redo the same trip at the same time next year. My compensation is that is gives me time to save money and treat myself to something nice, like maybe premium economy! Or something more reasonable like a special souvenir or extra nice meal.

Doing a local trip to see something you wouldn’t normally take the time for is a great idea. There are a lot of interesting things here and maybe you’d enjoy being a local tourist. Don’t even have to worry about what to wear to try to blend in!

A few thoughts/replies.
First off thanks for the support.

It is to me disappointing. I don’t get many opportunities to get to Europe and the lose of now the most recent two attempts is a huge letdown.

As for travel in the US. I have extensive travel in the US. I am something like 12 states away from having all of them (two of them being Hawaii and Alaska, are a bit harder to get to) And I can’t count the number of national parks I have been to. I am a history buff so I do that kind of thing a lot as well. I spent 5 years of so traveling around to all the major Civil war sites for example. And for the longest time I traveled to West. Virginia to look up old coal mining and railroad related stuff.

But as much fun as US travel is (I did New Mexico and a touch of southern Co last year with my sister. It is not the same (at least to me). I think because I have seen so much of the US it just does not have the excitement of planning a trip to Europe.

At this point I am continuing my planning for the trip, For a few reasons. 1) My buddy and his mom still want yo go someday so If I. Cant make it they may end up going anyway, so could use the trip. And my sister still wants to see Europe and it would be good to give her a clue what can be done. She is not interested in planning her own as that is just not her personality in general and thus all her trips have been tours up to this point. So it is good to show her, her options.
Plus you never know.

Douglas, I join your other fellow Forum members in acknowledging your disappointment that you have had to cancel yet another trip, and letting you know how sorry I am that this is what you are going through.

(I do join Carol in realizing the gratitude that you know about your upcoming financial shortfall in time to anticipate and act and avert it.)

And roubrat’s advice to consider it postponing the trip, rather than cancelling it, is very good. (And Roubrat, I’m sorry about your postponed trip !)

I don’t have any advice, just wanted to tell you I am sorry.

Thanks, Kim.

Bummer all around. Travelling aside, sorry about your dad, very hard.

Chin up - it will get better and you'll travel again.

Very sorry to hear about the change in plans, douglas.

it MAY be back on. we will see.

Hope it all works out, Douglas.

Can relate to feeling letdown when all the planning and anticipation for a trip goes out the window. Similar experience when my family and I were supposed to be part of a 2020 (GAS) Tour, confirmed in 2019, reconnecting with out-of-state friends we enjoyed hanging out with on a previous tour. Everyone aligned their work/vacation schedules way ahead of time, excited for the opportunity to share new roads and experiences; but then watched as the pandemic came out of nowhere and spread, international borders closed, and all RSE Tours were understandably cancelled. It felt like something special was taken away before it could start. Keeping things in perspective, we told ourselves it was 'small potatoes' in the scheme of things, with so many communities impacted by COVID and the then-uncertainty of when a cure might be found. And we certainly weren't the only ones in a cancelled-trip 'boat'. The good news - and hoping your story sees a similar outcome - is that when we went on the same itinerary, two years later, the experience was EVEN BETTER. Travelers were more aware and courteous, crowds were smaller than pre-pandemic levels, and everyone felt a certain kinship in getting back out there in lieu of the times' prevailing fear and uncertainty. We arrived at the conclusion that you are where you're supposed to be when you're there, and what we may have once taken for granted was now much more appreciated. Your travels will be special, whether they're immediate or slightly in the future.

Fingers crossed, douglas!

Yeah I missed my planed 2019 trip to Italy as that is when my dad got sick, one day after I gave him a new pack, a new case for charging wires and the RS books for Rome and Italy for his birthday…
My next attempt at a trip was ca car trip through Canada to Niagara and back (we are from Michigan so not a bit deal getting yo Canada). We were supposed to leave a couple days after the Lockdown started.
Then I got two trips that worked (Florida and New Mexico) but then had to cancel last minute two trips to Florida for health reasons (Kidney stone and Flu) so yeah it happens.
Still disappointing.

Sorry you had to cancel your trip. Is is very disappointing. But, if you are still working it means (maybe) you are younger then most of us here and have many more years of travel ahead. Keep planning, I have trips planned that never happened but I am always hopeful.