This definitely isn’t the best time to travel the world. Unfortunately, we need to stay home and lots of countries have imposed limits on movements and travels. This is something we need to do, but just for a short period of time, to be able to go back to travel to new places soon!
For all those who love travelling and exploring, like me, this feels like torture. However, don’t give up hop! This will pass soon and we will go back to travel. So here is a list of travel related activities you can do from home, that can help you in your next trip.
1.Build a bucket list with all the places you want to see at least once in your life
Who hasn’t at least ones made a mental list of all the places we want to see one day? Then why not write down this list, with all the spots around the world you want to visit, and once you go there, you can cross them off your list. If you are looking for some inspiration, click on the link below for a list of possible destinations.
Un cenote nello Yucatan, Messico
2. Learn a new language
Do you want to do something fun, challenging and useful at the same time? Why not learn a new language? Possibly one that might be useful for the next trip you have planned, or that trip you already had tickets to (because you will go there at another time!)
There are a few websites and videos where you can learn languages, but I personally really like Duolingo.
3. Research a place you have always wanted to go to
Are you stuck at home and bored? Are you thinking about that holiday you had to postpone or the one you haven’t booked yet? Take this chance to research that place, so that you will be ready once you will actually visit that place. You can read a blog, watch a documentary, or take a look at a travel guide. There are so many ways to learn!
If you want to take an extra step, you can even go as far as drafting an itinerary. Here is a free template, if you want to fill in one to distract yourself.
4. Watch a travel movie
If we can’t travel in person, then we can at least travel with our mind. Like I said in this post, one of the movies that has always made me want to travel since when I was younger is The Motorcycle Diaries: this movie made me want to discover far away places, and explore South America in particular – a dream a was so lucky to be able to make come true.
In addition to this one, there are so many movies I would watch over and over, and that make me want to leave everything and explore somewhere new. Among these:
- Wild
- Into the Wild
- The secret life of Walter Mitty
- Eat, Pray, Love
- The Darjeeling Limited
- Bucket List
- Lost in Translation
- Chocolat
- Little Miss Sunshine
- Midnight in Paris
- Up
5. Read a travel-themed book
If you love travelling and you have already seen all these movies, you can read a book instead, including some of the titles in the list above, which are also books.
A classic book, that has inspired me and thousands of other travellers and backpackers is The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho, which I read all together in the three days I spent on an almost desert island in the Caribbeans with no internet.
Also in this case, however, there are so many books with this theme. Two recent ones I read and that I really liked are Hippie, again by Paulo Coelho and Anywhere, by an Irish writer called Rosita Boland. Other good books to give you wanderlust are:
- In Patagonia
- Wild
- Three cups of tea
- Shantaram
- Vagabonding
- On the road
- Marching Powder
6. Take this chance to save
If we can’t go out and can’t travel, let’s look for the silver lining: we can always save more money to book an incredible trip in the future!
Un paesaggio di campagna vicino a Galatina
Il mondo e’ un posto bellissimo e non vedo l’ora di poter riprendere a viaggiare. Ma, per il momento, spero che queste idee possano essere utili a qualcuno!