A new year brings with it a new set of hope, optimism and positivity. It can be hard not to scoff and say, “We felt this way at this time last year,” especially after all the drama 2020 threw us. As we approach the one-year mark of the shutdown, it’s remarkable at times to realize how last year feels like both yesterday and a lifetime away at the same time. Leaving 2020 in the past, how are you looking to 2021? With skeptical eyes and trepidation, or with cautious optimism and hope for a busy year of travel ahead?

We spent the last year and early part of 2021 adapting, and with being able to adapt and change successfully also comes an immense sense of pride. My photo this month is a behind-the-scenes glimpse from a mid-November day, filming our virtual 2020 awards event. When the video went live Dec. 14 (it’s still available on our YouTube channel), I was overcome with pride at the end product. It was truly a global celebration with cooperation from clients around the world. From Yardley, Pennsylvania, we coordinated a worldwide effort of collecting materials, ordering assets, shipping awards, recording clips, marketing the event and much more — all safely with protocols in mind. No matter what 2020 threw our way, we here at Global Traveler, Trazee Travel and WhereverFamily persevered. I’m honored to work with this extraordinary group of people, and this is the mood I’m carrying into 2021.

So welcome to our first issue of this new year. It’s crazy to say it, but I’m approaching the one-year mark of my last flight — something I hope to change ASAP. Similar to past years, 2020 business travel started in Chicago, one of my favorite cities in the world, with an early February trip. With one case of coronavirus reported in Illinois at the time, the virus was making news, but there still wasn’t much of a hint as to what was to come. This past year didn’t stop Chicago from improving its two airports, O’Hare International Airport and Midway International Airport. And so, let’s start this year at the gateway where I start most years. Turn to page 78 for more on the two hubs.

As we plan 2021 travel, providers around the world continue to enhance safety protocols and pivot to reframe travel in this age. Learn more on the industry’s status as a whole on page 38, and delve deeper with United Airlines on page 42. With the vaccine rollout underway and safety and health at the forefront, we hope 2021 travels can take us to all the farthest-flung corners of the globe. We start the year in Greenland; Florence, Italy; San Antonio, Texas; New Delhi, India; Cartagena, Colombia; Lucerne, Switzerland; Lima, Peru; the Cook Islands; Kentucky; New Zealand; and Tahiti.

Next month we recap our awards event and look ahead to the Olympics. Until then, Happy New Year!