There are many things we can do during this travel hiatus to stay motivated about travel or to just feed our wanderlust while we’re sheltering in place. The times we live in provide us with a wealth of information and experiences at our fingertips.
Take it to the kitchen
Was there a place you planned to travel to or a place you’ve always dreamed of? Look up dishes from the destination and experience the culture through its cuisine. If you’re not a fan of the kitchen, your local restaurant may have a take-out or delivery service available. Don’t forget the cocktails! Cocktails are a great way to enhance your experience.
Music soothes the soul
Discovering music from around the world is exciting and often needs no translation but, if you’re so inclined you can always find the lyrics and translation online. While you’re discovering the music, learn the dances as well. Youtube is a great place to discover both.
Extra tip: Use this time to put together a playlist for your next adventure. You can create different lists for different moods and experiences. For example
- Road trip songs
- Easy listening
- Meditative
- Club Mix – Great to burn some calories in your hotel room or when the club is not available. You may want a portable wireless speaker for this.
Go there virtually
Many museums have virtual tours online of either specific exhibits or a general tour. Visit your favorite or desired museum’s website to check it out. Google Arts & Culture is also a great place to search. Many events, locations, and facilities are using this platform. Tourist board websites have lots of information about the destination and some have videos and links to resources. For a change of scenery, look to destinations with beaches, mountains or other tranquil settings using Google views.
Connect
There are many online groups and platforms to connect with people around the world.
- Facebook Groups – if you’re not already connected, look for groups with your like interests for cooking, music, travel, singles, married, fitness, etc.
- Instagram – Great for sharing photos and live connections.
- Zoom – You can create a personal account on this meeting platform.
Immerse Yourself
Take a language course for a destination on your list or a second language that is widely spoken in your home town. If you’re tightening the purse strings, search useful phrases of the destination online. A little goes a long way when communicating and it brings a smile to someone’s face when you greet them in their language.
- Useful phrases
- Hello/Goodbye
- Good morning
- How are you?
- Thank you
- Where’s the bathroom
- Please
- Yes/No
- Sorry
- Excuse me
- Check, please
- How much is …
- You’re welcome
- Do you speak …
- I don’t understand or I don’t speak …
- Modes of transportation: Airport, Train, Bus, Taxi
- I need help
- Water
- Extra tip: Always get and keep an address card from the hotel so you can show it to someone to get back to it.
Learn the customs
A country’s culture and customs are essential. Learning the culture and customs will help you navigate a country and do so without offending someone or worse yet getting into social or legal trouble. Essential etiquette and custom tips include, how to greet someone, the do’s and don’t’s, gender norms, tipping, and gestures – just to name a few.
Reminisce
I get a lot of inspiration, enjoyment, and calm from revisiting photos and experiences from a past trip. Take the time, that we all have now to put together photo albums of past trips. If you have your photos backed up in the cloud, you can organize photos in the cloud with albums. Share your albums and experiences with your family and friends. You can host a watch party with those you traveled with using Zoom and enhance it with food and wine.
Get prepared
Take this time to assess your reward programs to make sure you’re getting the most out of them, consolidate where you can and sign up for ones you should have, so when you’re traveling again, you’ll hit the ground earning.