What to do when you miss travel

Don’t we all? I don’t think a lengthy intro is needed here, we all know what the situation is. Instead, I wanted to share the ways I have satisfied my love for travel these past few months, when I really couldn’t.If you know me, you’ll know that I’ve been travelling since I was tiny, and that its one of my favourite things ever. Lots of people like it, but for me, its always been one of my biggest passions. So its been tough sometimes, amongst all the other stuff going on, that its been off limits. Because its not just the physical act of going somewhere and being there, for me, the magic is the planning and researching beforehand, and even the sense of contentment you feel when you get back home, a camera full of photos and your head full of memories. So it made me think, how can I recreate at least a part of that when I can’t leave home?

Here are a few ways to get back that feeling:

Read travel related books and magazines. I always used to buy a travel magazine each month, even when I had no plans to go anywhere. You can just turn through the pages, get ideas and inspiration, and if nothing else, learn new facts about places you didn’t even know existed!

Plan your dream trip. Because, why not? Plan every little detail, from the clothes you will take to the transport options from the airport, to your perfect day-by-day itinerary. You can challenge yourself by having a strict budget, or just go crazy and pretend you’ve got an unlimited budget and unlimited time. For me half the fun is planning a trip, so I like to do this a lot!

Listen to music. We did this one evening- randomly listened to Bollywood film songs! It really brought us back to India! There are so many options- reggae for island vibes, Spanish songs for a beach party feel…

Look back at old photos, diaries, scrapbooks etc. This is a fun way to lose an hour down memory lane, and will remind you of all the amazing experiences you’ve already had. Like I said earlier, coming home from a trip and looking back on it all is very much an important part of travel, so go back and relive those moments from trips long past.

Start a new bucket-list. The world has changed. And so too have your priorities, probably. So if you had already written a bucket-list, go back and re-write it! Chances are new places and experiences will be at the top of your list. And if you’ve never done one before, now is the perfect time! I have an old post which you can refer to for some tips and inspiration, if you like.

Be a tourist at home. Its so so easy to forget that where you live is likely an interesting place to someone visiting. I forget this often, even whilst I’m cursing tourists for being noisy or getting in my way! Walk somewhere new, run down a new path, check-out a new cafe, museum (whatever is open where you are) and pretend like you’re totally new to the place. (All these photos are from my ‘tourist’ moments in the area!)

Learn a new language, try a new food or skill. When we travel, we end up learning so many new things and being immersed in another culture. You can try to recreate this a little by learning a new language (a good pre future trip thing to do, anyway) or even try out a new exotic recipe or learn a new skill. For example, why not try cooking paella or make poke bowls? Or learn the art of origami or tai chi from the comfort of your own home? Either way, you will be one step ahead when you finally do get to travel to all those places. For languages, the Duolingo app is great. And you can also try this Thailand inspired smoothie, to transport you to the tropics.

Talk to others about your experiences. If you went on your trips with a friend, or family member(s), make time to sit down together and reminisce! Look at your photos, recap your adventures… they will most likely be missing travel too.

Hope you will try one or two of these, and let me know in the comments if you would add anything else to the list xx Suzi reminding you to wear your masks when on planes in the future