Having the ability to travel was something I used to take for granted before COVID19 shut down most of the world. Now like so many of you, I’m confined to my tiny apartment except for a weekly trip to the grocery store and short walks with my dog. If you’re feeling the travel blues lately, you’re not alone, but I have a few ways to help ease your wanderlust until you can safely jet off to your next destination!
Plan Your Next Big Trip
This may seem super counter-intuitive right now, but hear me out. Most people plan big trips months, if not years in advance especially if they’re the “once in a lifetime” kind. If you find yourself with some free time and an itch to travel, why not start planning a trip somewhere you’ve always wanted to go. You can look up must-see attractions, compare hotel ratings, learn a few helpful phrases in a different language, get familiar with neighborhoods, make a list of must-eat-at restaurants. The list can go on! I planned a surprise graduation trip to Paris, France for my younger sister two years in advance and I’m so glad I did. Planning ahead gave us the opportunity to make adjustments to our itinerary on the fly without worrying about whether we would fit everything we wanted to do and see into our trip! It’s also a great way to estimate how much money you’ll need to save to finance the trip. Just keep in mind that airfare is cheaper than normal right now, so round up a couple hundred dollars to be safe.
Bring the Destination to You!
Think of this one like a themed stay-cation. Pick a place to inspire your day and replicate a trip to your destination from the comfort of your home. Wear an outfit that you would pack if you could go on your trip tomorrow, try your hand at cooking a meal based on the local cuisine, or watch a movie set in your dream destination. I love this “travel” option because you can choose how into it you want to get! Get fully dressed up and watch destination themed movies all day long while cooking up a storm in your kitchen or choose one of the three. Get creative and most of all, get inspired!
Binge Read Travel Blogs
I don’t know about you, but I love reading travel blogs when I’ve got the travel bug and no way to satisfy it. Some of my favorite travel bloggers have so much content that I can spend hours reading through their posts daydreaming about the magnificent places they’ve been. Who knows, you might stumble across an article about a place you’ve never considered traveling to and become completely obsessed!
The travel blogging community has taken a hit recently and it’s not hard to see why. No one is traveling or actively planning vacations, so a lot of revenue that would typically come from affiliate sales has ceased. I’m certainly lucky to have a full-time job that I’m able to continue working at remotely, but there are tons of travel bloggers who rely solely on their blog businesses to pay their bills.
I know this is a tough time for everyone, so don’t feel pressured to spend money, but simply visiting travel blogs and adding to their overall traffic helps keep them relevant in the industry and boosts their overall engagement numbers. This way when the world opens back up, your favorite travel bloggers can go back to doing what they do best!
Check out some of my favorite female travel bloggers in my latest blog post.
Learn a New Language
If you’re planing a trip to a country that speaks a different language, why not attempt to learn some useful phrases? You know how the saying goes; when in Rome! This is a great way to prep for a future trip and learn more about a country’s culture and traditions. Language is an amazing way to explore without actually leaving your home. There are so many free language resources available, especially now that people are looking for things to do to occupy their time. My boyfriend has been using an app called Duolingo for about a year now to perfect his German and learn Spanish. The app is free to download, but there’s also a paid version that unlocks a ton of resources.
How will you travel virtually during Quarantine?
What are some of your ideas for scratching the travel itch while in quarantine? Tell me all about it in the comments! I know I’ve been planning like crazy for my next international getaway once it’s safe to travel again. I’m also super excited to do a little Disney-Themed Stay-cation this Sunday during the Disney Sing-Along! If you don’t know, Disney World is one of my absolute favorite places to go! You can find all my Disney travel posts here.
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Have an amazing day and stay inside to save lives! Happy Friday!
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