Known for her starring role in ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer,’ Gellar emphasized the transformative power of travel even during the height of the global crisis in 2020.
According to a Travel + Leisure interview, she firmly believed in the inherent value of travel in fostering empathy and broadening our understanding of diverse cultures.
Being a New York native who resided in Los Angeles for more than two decades, Gellar confessed a profound longing for her hometown. During the lockdown, the lack of travel was something she particularly missed:
“[Travel is important] because otherwise, we live in our bubble and don’t know what the rest of the world looks like. To have empathy and compassion, you need to know how others live. And you need to have respect for different cultures… To understand is to experience — that’s where empathy comes from. It’s understanding that everybody has different traditions, and just because they’re different doesn’t mean they’re wrong.”
Even in the midst of the pandemic, Gellar harnessed her passion for travel through a creative partnership with Travelocity. She led a live Zoom cooking demo, preparing travel-themed Thanksgiving dishes and reminiscing about her favorite holiday travel memories.
Throughout the lockdown, Gellar leveraged technology to stay connected. From organizing Zoom parties to virtual museum visits, her family found new avenues of exploration. She even used this period to rewatch ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer,’ with her children offering their perspectives on the series.
Despite the restrictions, Gellar and her family remained hopeful about future travels. Her wish list included New York, Hawaii, and Japan. She instilled the joy of travel in her children and taught them patience and adaptability when faced with unexpected disruptions.
In the interview, Gellar also revealed how she taught her kids to be ‘good travelers’:
“People always say, ‘You’re lucky your kids are such good travelers and sleepers,’ but it’s not about luck — it’s more about parenting. It’s also about making them understand that it’s life — there are going to be airport delays. It’s part of learning.”
After that, she revealed her tips for keeping travels more entertaining:
“And it’s about making it fun and exciting. If you make it a big deal and seem stressed getting on an airplane, they feed on that. If you’re having fun and you make it fun, it’s like, ‘well, we’re delayed for six hours; who’s going to come up with the first game?'”
Gellar spoke about her thoughts on traveling during the lockdown period, but they are still relevant in today’s world. She emphasized the importance of creating time to plan the next trip and staying optimistic about the future:
“Traveling is one of my passions in life. I know that while we can’t do it right now, it’s just around the corner. You can use this time to plan that next trip. That also gives us hope — having something to look forward to is really special. So, plan that next trip. It’s okay to start thinking about the places you want to go and the restaurants you want to eat at because it’s going to happen.”
As the world has now ‘recovered’ from those times, Gellar’s insights seem even more relevant, shining a light on the benefits of embracing diverse cultures and experiences.