As we all do our part to slow the spread of Coronavirus and stay inside and away from others, that doesn’t mean we can’t still indulge in our love for travel!
Now is the perfect time to stay home and do some research or relive your favorite travel memories as we keep a close watch on the situation.
Since you’ve got some extra time on your hands to chill on the couch and not commute to work, put that time to good use with these 10 travel-related things to do while stuck inside.
1. Learn a new language
With online learning tools like Rosetta Stone, Duolingo, and Babbel, it’s easy to start learning a new language. All you need is an internet connection and you can start practicing a new language for a future trip or just dive into a language you’ve always wanted to learn but just haven’t had the time for.
Check out our comparison review of Rosetta Stone and Duolingo to see which is right for you!
2. Work on photo albums or scrapbooks
Have a stack of printed photos that need to be organized? Break out the glue sticks and stickers and get to work on travel scrapbooks or photo albums! I’m still a fan of printed photos and have almost 15 photo albums sitting on our bookshelf.
You can also make virtual scrapbooks and photo albums if you want to save the printing costs and paper. Be sure to add captions to your photos or write down stories about your adventures to make the trip come to life.
3. Read a travel book
I really enjoy Bill Bryson’s books as they merge storytelling with interesting factual information about popular travel destinations, but Brian Thacker is my favorite when it comes to funny travel stories (especially his first book, Rule No. 5 No Sex on the Bus).
I’ll even lump Dan Brown books into the travel category as he makes Robert Langdon travel across Europe on different adventures.
4. Watch travel movies
From the ridiculous, Eurotrip, to the inspiring, Under the Tuscan Sun, there are some great travel movies to watch to motivate you to want to travel when the time’s right. Plus, you gotta make the most of that Netflix subscription right now!
Check out our list of favorite travel movies!
5. Recreate your favorite international dishes
OK, hopefully you have the majority of the ingredients you need as panic buying is depleting everything, but Rick and I love recreating some of our favorite dishes from our travels when we’re back home. We often do paella and sangria nights, homemade pizza with mozzarella and prosciutto paired with a chianti, or create a little tapas bar and open a bottle of tempranillo.
Get busy cooking in your kitchen and bring the flavors from around the world to your home!
6. Listen to music
When I’m meal prepping, I’m either listening to Michael Buble and Frank Sinatra serenade me or I’m dancing in front of the stove to Spanish guitar.
With services like Spotify, Pandora, and Amazon Music, you can pipe in international sounds without leaving the country. Put on a playlist, close your eyes, and pretend you’re not stuck on your couch for the next two weeks.
Another spin on this is to watch YouTube tutorials and learn how to salsa dance, polka, or since we are back in the ‘20s, learn how to do the Charleston!
7. Plan a vacation
Tame your wanderlust by planning a trip! Take the time to do your research, read reviews of hotels and tours, plan each day of your itinerary, discover where to dine and what to eat, find affordable deals, and learn about what to pack so you’ll be ready to hop on the plane when the time comes.
The travel and tourism industry is taking a huge hit right now and will need help bouncing back when it’s safe.
8. Travel virtually
Many museums and iconic attractions from around the globe allow you to take virtual tours from the comfort of your own home. Google Cardboard does a good job of this if you want one device to visit multiple places, otherwise you can check out:
9. Pamper yourself
Take care of yourself during this time and draw a nice bubble bath, give yourself a facial, trade massages with your partner, and pretend you’re at a luxurious spa retreat with fresh fruit (get that fill of Vitamin C), tea, and maybe even treat yourself with some champagne.
10. Create a bucket list
I know most people do this kind of planning around the New Year when we’re all excited for a new year and new adventures, but revisit your bucket list and start prioritizing travel destinations and calculating costs so you can start budgeting now for future travel. Now’s the time to dream big and figure out how to make it a reality.
How are you spending your time while social distancing? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!
