This was the summer that everyone decided to travel again. Sixty percent of Americans had plans for a summer vacation, according to a 2022 summer travel survey by Deloitte. And good for them. After being locked up for over two years due to the pandemic, we all deserved a much-needed getaway.

But goodness, was that vacation hard-earned this year. With soaring gas prices, road trips were costly. With limited flights, pricey airfare tickets, and frequent flight delays and cancellations, flying was tumultuous. This summer had the highest airfare prices on record for the past five years, according to Hopper, a flight price tracking app. Once you got to your destination, limited staffing and big crowds often meant more waiting in lines. Employment in the leisure and hospitality sector is still below its February 2020 level by 7.1 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In short, high fuel prices, labor shortages, and post-pandemic wanderlust created a perfect storm. “Traveling this summer required a lot of flexibility and getting creative, bringing a whole new meaning to requiring a sense of adventure,” says Mollie Krengel, founder of Wild Bum, a platform for curated travel guides.

Read the full story on Outside Online.