Let’s be honest, traveling is stressful. Sure, the new food, people, and places are exciting, and the journey to get there is fulfilling, but nobody talks about the hair-pulling stresses that come from planning, and paying for, another expensive trip. With the responsibility of booking planes, checking into hotels, planning activities, and dishing out the dollars comes the fact that we get so wound up that when the holiday begins we spend half of it trying to relax and the other half actually relaxing. It can be worth it in the end, but with the troubling times we’ve faced, we don’t need any more on our plates. So, here’s how to feel the joy of traveling without even leaving home.
Do some research
One way to see beautiful new places and learn about other cultures without having to travel is by doing some research. This doesn’t mean spending hours on the internet planning a trip (unless that’s how you normally unwind) but rather sitting on the couch with a bowl of popcorn watching travel channels and nature documentaries. Television is not what it used to be, nowadays we can see waterfalls in high definition and go on a safari without even leaving the couch. Cooking shows are also a great way to learn to make new cuisine from other cultures. If you desperately want to visit India, why not learn to make a delicious curry in the meantime. Food and culture are closely linked, so learning new recipes can open your mind to other ways of life even when you feel like you are stuck at home. Another great way to do research is to watch foreign films, with the subtitles on, of course. Listening to dialogue in a different language and looking at different architecture will have you feeling like you have been transported across the world. Your television or your laptop can become your best friend when you feel restless at home.
Do things a little differently
We’ve all heard the saying that humans are creatures of habit but we can spin this around to our benefit. The feeling we all love about traveling is that it makes us feel refreshed and new. But there are other ways to do this. All this involves is doing things a little differently. The first way to change things around is to change the pillow you put your head on. If you have more than one room in your house, why not be whimsical and sleep there for a couple of days? If you really want to be funny and silly, pack a bag and treat that extra room like a hotel room. You’ll still have to make your own bed, though. The next step is to change the foods you eat. If you eat the same cereal every day or get the same take out every week, switch your breakfast to eggs or try a new restaurant. Instead of getting your coffee from your usual coffee shop, try another smaller, artisanal coffee shop. You could even try new clothes to get that feeling of being refreshed. Trying new things can make you feel like a new person. In these strange and weird times, a new hobby could always help, like baking, gardening, or dancing. Learning to bake banana bread or growing zucchini will mean having a new skill that can be helpful even when you don’t have a vacation to go on.
It’s normal to want a break from time to time, which means it’s normal to want to be away from home for a while. But if leaving the house is not possible, changing things up or learning new things could be just as helpful.
