Most spring break plans were a bust, and summer vacation is still up in the air. What’s a traveler to do in this strange season? In the spirit of turning lemons into lemonade, now is the time to get creative and roam from home. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Take a Virtual Tour
Visit our incredible National Parks. There’s no need to leave your house to see the beauty of nature. Visit a national park through many different digital tours and experiences offered at NationalParks.org. These can be accessed anytime and anywhere—from digitally diving under the sea to watching the cherry blossom trees bloom.
Over five hundred major museums worldwide are offering virtual tours as well. Gaze at the most iconic artwork in the world with just a couple of clicks on the keyboard. Tour the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, and the Guggenheim in New York City in an afternoon.
Get Outside
Many parks and local hiking trails are open, and it’s easy to practice social distancing on the paths. Immersing yourself in nature is a proven stress-buster, and as a bonus, you’ll get a little exercise. Discover a new local trail and explore it. Even going to a garden or your backyard and feeling the grass under your feet is helpful
Take a Culinary Trip
Order takeout from an ethnic restaurant, or if you’re feeling adventurous, try a new ethnic recipe. Google Fast and Easy Ethnic Recipes for tons of suggestions. Take it to the next level by streaming a foreign film from the region you choose.
Read a Travel Book
If you can’t leave your home to travel, why not live vicariously through others? Memoirs, travel books, and even novels set in other countries will allow you to see the world without leaving the living room. If you’d prefer not to go solo, join an online book club. Find the Tami’s Trippin’ Travel & Adventure Book Club on Facebook groups to start. We’d love to have you. Click HERE to join or see what we’re reading next.
Host a Movie Night Watch Party
This one may be a little trickier – all participants will have to have access to the same streaming service, but it’s worth the effort. I recently participated in one of these events, and it was great fun. The host created a Facebook event, and all participants started the film at the same time, commenting throughout the event providing social interaction and connection.
Plan Your Next Adventure
According to a 2010 study published in the journal Applied Research in Quality of Life, just planning or anticipating your trip can make you happier than actually taking it. You’ve got time and internet access. Why not use a little of it to plan your next adventure or come up with a new list of destinations? Dream a little.
It’s impossible to know exactly when we’ll travel again, but one thing I’m sure of is that we will travel again. In the meantime, we’ll have to be content roaming for home.
As always, thanks for reading!
XOXO
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