Have you also been bitten by the travel bug ? I know exactly how it is. Travel is amazing. But as much as we would love it, it is not always possible to travel 24/7 all year round. Especially this year with Covid19, most of us are under stay-at-home orders or prefer not to move too much.
It can be hard to spend such an extended amount of time in our original country or town despite our longing for travel. But we can always find ways to make the most of this time and enjoy it nonetheless.
So here are 11 tips that might help you wait more joyfully until your next adventure !
1. EXPLORE YOUR OWN REGION
Many times, we all dream of incredible landscapes on the other side of the world. But our own region also has many things to offer ! Indeed, we often don’t have to go far to find a beautiful park, forest or lake to enjoy some nature. Even a small road in the middle of the countryside surrounded by flowers can be interesting.
As a bonus, we can do this at a very small cost. For example, taking a bike to explore around our home instead of a car is a great healthy solution. Non-expensive buses or trains can take us to farther places if we are not an athlete yet. Plus, we get to enjoy the ride by watching the countryside, listening to music or reading a book.
Going with friends or family can also be a way to share the costs while enjoying quality time together. So keep exploring ! Take time to wander amongst trees, enjoy the colorful sunsets, walk barefoot on the earth and breathe the fresh air of nature. This will rejuvenate you and keep your sense of wonder alive.
2. TAKE SHORT TRIPS
Another great way to ease your travel bug from home is making small trips when you are able to. Whether it be a road trip to the mountains, a weekend away in a region of your country you wish to explore, or a getaway in a neighboring country, there are so many ways to create fun little adventures not too far from home.
In Europe, we have the chance to be closely surrounded by countries and cultures very different from our own. It makes it very easy to discover new landscapes, architecture, food and ways of life without traveling too far. However, it is always possible to find new places to explore anywhere in the world.
If you are on a budget, regularly check train, bus and flight tickets for sales or economic last minute opportunities. When the situation allows it again, stay in hostels or use CouchSurfing. It is a wonderful way to meet new incredible people willing to share a bit of their life with you ! Some can even enjoy being a guide and showing you their region’s highlights. Also try to eat non-expensive local food and cook whenever possible, it is always a good way to save money.
3. TRY NEW BARS AND RESTAURANTS IN YOUR OWN TOWN
If like me, you love eating out when you travel and discover new delicious food, I bet you haven’t been to every restaurant in town just yet ! It is so easy to go back to what we know we love, but sometimes it is also refreshing to try new places and types of food.
So allow yourself to change your habits and take the risk to be adventurous in your culinary explorations. Make it an occasion to take yourself on a date or have quality time with loved ones. It is a great way to catch up with a friend and tell them all about your adventures !
4. COOK EXOTIC FOOD
You miss that delicious Nasi goreng you used to eat every other day in Indonesia ? Or the flavorful Pad thai you had in Chiang Mai ? Bring it home !
Find a good recipe online or even better, learn it while you travel. Then recreate it at home for a time and space window that will take you back for the night.
It will also bring the opportunity to your family and friends to try it and experience a tiny portion of your adventures through you. It is a gift for everyone !
5. GO TO INTERNATIONAL BARS AND EVENTS
This one may have to wait post sanitary crisis, but part of the richness of traveling is meeting new friends from all over the world, whether it be for 5 minutes or a lifetime !
I bet some bars in your town usually organize international nights with quiz games or couch surfing meetings. It is a great way to get out of your routine and meet new people even when you’re at home. You will also help foreigners feel welcome and at ease in a new environment. If you have time and hit it off, offer to show them around and to spend more time together.
Also look for free tours your city might be organizing. It is a good opportunity to see your own town in a new light as well as making new friends.
6. BECOME A COUCHSURFING HOST
A lot have changed during the last few months, and this includes how CouchSurfing works. To maintain the company alive, you now have to pay a fee to use the platform, whether you are seeking to host or trying to find a host.
But if you have the possibility and would appreciate sharing your home with travelers once in a while, CouchSurfing is still an amazing way to meet new people with a similar mindset. Plus, this will offer them a view on the inside local life.
In my experience, it has always been enriching to share life experiences and good times with the hosts that have been kind enough to open their doors to me. I’m pretty sure I will go for the experience again in the future as I navigate the world !
7. LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE
Speaking a different language is an exotic, often enjoyable part of traveling. So make the most of your time at home and learn a language you may use in the future !
There are many benefits to learning new languages. It trains your brain and memory, allows you to communicate with people from other countries and opens your mind to new ideas, ways of thinking, and even ways of being. If you already speak another language, don’t you feel like you have a slightly different personality when you speak it ? I know I do. Plus, the more languages you know, the easier it is to learn new ones !
If you want to know how to effectively learn a new language, I invite you to read this article where I give you my best tips to speak like a pro.
8. CONTINUE A PASSION YOU STARTED WHILE TRAVELING
I started dancing salsa during my Erasmus year in Spain and fell in love with it. When it was time to go back to my hometown to continue my studies, I invested in it even more. I met a new community I had no idea existed before I left, which gave me the feeling of having a second Erasmus without even being abroad.
Whether it be writing, diving, photography, dancing, doing yoga… find how you can continue practicing it at home. I promise it will give your life a sense of meaning while waiting for your next trip.
To illustrate this point, I invite you to check out this amazing travel photographer Erin Sullivan who turned quarantine into one of her most inspired projects. Made only with objects from her daily life, “Our Great Indoors” takes you on an unexpected adventure that I encourage you to explore here.
9. WATCH TRAVEL CONTENT
In this day and age, a lot of material is accessible for us to discover new places from the comfort of our house. Travel blogs, books, movies, documentaries… a lot of travelers share their journey with all of us.
Of course, it is different from physically experiencing them, but it is also an opportunity to see those places through someone else’s eyes. It opens us to new perspectives and can give us insights to where we would really love to go in the future.
If you would like me to take you on an adventure, you can discover my own personal Travel Highlights.
10. DAYDREAM ABOUT NEW ADVENTURES
We create our reality, and every adventure starts with a thought in our head. So allow yourself to dream !
Take time to wander in your imagination to any place you wish to experience and feel how it would be like to be there. Imagine the warmth of the sun on your skin, the soothing sound of the ocean waves, the brisk air of a snowing day or the earthy smell of the forest.
Imagine meeting new amazing people, having your breath taken away by incredible sunsets, being rewarded with beautiful turquoise lakes after demanding hikes, experiencing delicious food for the first time, connecting with the powerful energies of sacred sites…
Make it all real for you and believe that you can achieve anything, because you absolutely can !
11. PLAN YOUR NEXT TRIP !
There is nothing more exciting – at least for me – than taking the decision to go on a new adventure, especially if it’s a big one ! It definitely helps me to appreciate where I am knowing that I will soon be exploring something new.
I have to admit that right now times are uncertain to say the least, but it doesn’t stop me from planning my next big adventure for when the time comes. I may not know the exact dates, but I can definitely start making the plan.
You can at least do research on the places that make your heart ache – but not too much if, like me, you prefer not spoiling yourself entirely before going – and keep dreaming. Your next adventure is right around the corner ! If you have it in your heart, you can and will make it a reality.
Where will you be going next ?
I hope these ideas will help you ease your travel bug when you are at home ! I am curious to know what you all do to keep your desire to travel satisfied while being at home ? Tell me in the comments, I would love to try new things to spark my visits home.
