Seeing the world is finally back on the agenda after several years of staycationing.
During March's Alumni Weekend, about 50 would-be travelers visited the Alumni Journeys tent for a preview of the trips in 2022 and 2023, from an eight-day tour of France' fairy tale Alsace region to cruising by the Hopkins Glacier in Alaska.
Fittingly, at one of the first large in-person events since COVID-19, the crowd eagerly welcomed the popular travel program's return after nearly two years.
Johns Hopkins Alumni Journeys offers an array of destinations and itineraries ranging from river cruises to national parks to historical sites, run by professional travel companies. Faculty experts and local guides add to the discovery. Plus, there's comfort in traveling with like-minded companions and getting to know fellow JHU alumni, according to Marguerite Jones, A&S '74, Bus '88, senior director of Alumni Benefits and Services, who manages the program.
More than 20 trips were canceled when the program paused in March 2020, and travel for 2021 was put on hold. But with advice from university health experts, Jones said last summer they began plans to resume.
Trips to Egypt and Cuba in February kicked off the schedule for 2022, marking the program's 50th anniversary.
Patrick Flynn, A&S '06, has been on six Alumni Journeys and had several booked for 2020. Flynn says he enjoys the academic nature of the trips, visiting intellectually stimulating places and talking to locals. In March, Flynn flew to the United Arab Emirates, visiting Dubai and Abu Dhabi, staying overnight in the desert, seeing archaeological sites, and checking out the World Expo.
"One thing that impressed me was how they were able to preserve their heritage and at the same time build these modern cities," he says. Find more info on Alumni Journeys at http://alumni.jhu.edu/alumnijourneys.
