I trust you had a lovely summer even with the travel restrictions in place due to COVID-19. I visited Florida and made several trips to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. A far cry from my intentions — trips for business and leisure to Kiawah Island, Sarasota, Seoul, Los Angeles and countless other destinations. I hope we can figure out a plan to get travelers flying on a more regular basis. The industry is addressing this issue head on with stricter mask wearing and extreme cleaning techniques for airlines and hotels.

When you receive this issue, I won’t be traveling in Europe as planned, but I will fly to Tampa, Florida, spend time in Sarasota, and then head to Cape San Blas to say good-bye to the summer while relaxing and watching sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico. Road trips are on the rise, but I can tell you flying is safe, and the airlines’ HEPA filters are better than any supermarket or home filtration you encounter. United runs its filtration during the boarding process, adding to its United CleanPlus program.

Let me remind you this is the final month for voting for the GT Tested Reader Survey awards. You’ll find a ballot in this issue and also at globaltravelerusa.com. During the global health crisis we feel the voting and the awards for the businesses should continue. We will get through this, and we must come out on the other side healthy and ready to rebound back to travel. I know you all miss your journeys and are eager to fly as you did before March 16.

Look for a great line-up of issues this fall. The October Class Act edition will highlight all the best premium classes in the air, and November will feature travel in North America. Of course, we will conclude the year with the December issue, this year serving as our “awards issue” covering your picks for the Leisure Lifestyle Awards, GT Tested Reader Survey awards, The Trazees, the Wherever Awards and the Wines on the Wing competition.

Normally I plan well in advance for my annual birthday trip around Oct. 10. In fact, this issue includes two reviews from last year’s flight and trip to Lanai, which was spectacular. I planned to take a river cruise on Uniworld in Europe or a safari in Africa this year, but these options have been shelved for next year. I will plan something, most likely last minute.

Enjoy the September issue and, as they say, “What a difference a year makes,” and “This, too, shall pass.”