It’s been another week in lockdown for many of us, as the continuing Coronavirus pandemic keeps us at home.
You’re probably getting itchy feet by now, just wanting to get out and go somewhere, anywhere, outside of your home.
I know I am.
So what can we do to satisfy our wanderlust without actually leaving the house?
Last week, I brought you a virtual tour of the world to keep you busy for a while.
This week, I’ve put together a list of twelve fun, travel-related activities that you can do at home while you physically can’t travel.
Let’s get stuck in!
1: Try something new
An enforced period of time at home is a great time to start one of those things you’ve been wanting to try for ages but haven’t got around to.
Have you always wanted to learn another language? I’m using the Duolingo app to learn Spanish and I love it!
Maybe you’d like to learn to draw or paint some images from your favourite travel photos?
Learn a musical instrument? How about knitting or crocheting?
Now is the time to make a list of all the things you’ve ever wanted to try and pick at least one to focus on.
2: Travel the world from your kitchen
One of my favourite things about travelling is trying different kinds of food.
Get online and look up some recipes for your favourite types of international cuisine.
You could spend one day in Thailand, the next in Hong Kong, then on to Nepal, India, Lebanon, Italy, Morocco…
The choices are endless!
3: Discover new local walks
Depending on the restrictions in your area and your personal situation in this pandemic, this may or may not be possible for you.
Here in the UK, as long as we are not considered among the most vulnerable to the virus, we are currently allowed out of our homes for one form of exercise per day.
If you can go out for a walk, take a look at a map beforehand and see if there are any places within walking distance of your house that you haven’t been to before.
This way, even though you can’t travel to new places, you can still get that exciting feeling that comes from exploring somewhere new.
Just be mindful of any narrow paths or alleyways that may pose a risk if you were to meet someone coming the other way.
Social distancing is still very important.
4: Camp in your garden
Are you tired of looking at the same four walls and longing for some adventure?
Bring yourself a bit of excitement by pitching a tent in your garden, cooking your dinner on a camp stove and sleeping outside.
The bonus of this is that you can still use your own toilet and have a hot shower!
5: Remember past trips
This is the perfect time to look back on your memories from previous trips.
Go through your photos, souvenirs and keepsakes and think about whether you’d like to go back to any of those places, or if there was anywhere you missed that you could include next time.
You could even make a scrapbook to preserve those memories forever.
6: Plan future trips
Maybe you’ve had to postpone or cancel a trip that you had planned for this year?
Or maybe you’ve got something booked for later on that you’re hoping you can still do.
Even if you didn’t have anything planned, you may now be feeling like a holiday will be very much needed when this is all over.
Either way, you now have time to get deep into the research and plan exactly what you want to do when you can eventually travel again.
7: Check out virtual travel
Did you know that there are so many virtual tours that you can check out online?
From museums and art galleries to National Parks and natural phenomena, there’s something for everyone to get lost in.
Check out my post on virtual travel for my favourites around the world.
8: Work on your bucket list
If you’ve had a look at some of the virtual tours available online, you’ve probably added a few more places and experiences to your bucket list.
Have a good, hard think about the experiences you would like to fill your life with, even if they seem impossible, and add them to your list.
You never know what the future may hold and it’s always good to have big goals to work towards.
Get online for some inspiration, too!
9: Read travel books
Whether it’s a travel guidebook for a specific place or a novel with a travel theme, it’s easy to get lost in a book.
My favourite travel-themed books are The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, The Beach by Alex Garland and Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.
There are so many out there, though. Check out this list on Goodreads!
10: Watch travel movies & documentaries
With the wealth of streaming services available now, you can binge-watch travel movies and documentaries to your heart’s content!
For movies, I’d recommend Into The Wild, The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty and Tracks.
11: Listen to travel podcasts
Podcasts have become increasingly popular in the past few years and they are a great way to transport you somewhere else entirely.
My favourite travel podcasts are currently Zero To Travel and the Thoughtful Travel Podcast.
12: Read travel blogs
You’ve made it to the last item on the list, which means you’re actually already doing this one!
Seriously though, travel blogs are a great way to plan your future trips, reminisce about past ones, find inspiration and just daydream about what is possible.
There are lots of travel bloggers out there who are suffering in a time when nobody can travel, so go and show them some love. 🙂
There are plenty of things you can be doing to satisfy your wanderlust in these uncertain times, and I hope this list has inspired you.
We don’t know how long this pandemic will go on for, but all we can do for now is stay positive and keep ourselves occupied and happy.
There will come a time when we can travel again, and when that happens we will all be so prepared.
Do you have any other ideas that could be added to this list? How are you dealing with staying at home? Let me know in the comments!
Want more like this? Check out these articles:
- Virtual Travel: for when you can’t leave home
- How to stay healthy while travelling
- 9 tips for a long distance relationship that works!
All images in this post are the property of lastminutewanders.com
Lovely inspiring post. Thank you. I do a big 6 week solo adventure every January. This year it was Queensland and then Borneo. Luckily, I just got back before the pandemic stuff got really serious.
I think re-visiting some of South America is my plan for next Jan.
Hi Christine! Yes, I just got back before everything got serious as well. Wow, South America sounds like a great plan for next year! I haven’t made it there yet but it’s definitely on my list. Thanks for checking out my post 🙂