2020 is a surreal year for travelers! Being from the United States, it is crazy to see people from other countries (that have intelligently handled this pandemic) starting to travel again. While we are happy for them, it is scary to think about how long it could be before things start to get better here. We certainly can’t blame the many countries that have decided not to allow American travelers for the time being (you can see that list here), but it’s hard to accept that we can’t visit some of our favorite places!
Everyone is dealing with their own forms of disappointment. For us, it was hard when we had to pull the trigger on canceling our summer travel plans. Until we start to see that downward trend in COVID-19 cases, we are focusing on what IS in our control, and that includes finding some fun ways to scratch that wanderlust itch closer to home!
Here are some things that have helped us stay sane during this time:
1. Exploring new places where we live or planning a trip close to home:
Living in North Carolina, we are lucky to have SO many beautiful, natural places to explore. We have taken the time to visit numerous parks and lakes within an hour of our house that we had never been to before (shameful). Pretend like you’re new to the area and search the web for great spots near you that you may have overlooked.
If you are able to take it a step further, we have loved taking short trips to feel like we’re getting away from home and to have something to look forward to. For example, we're excited to spend a week at the beaches near us to close out the summer and a long weekend in the Tennessee Smoky Mountains to enjoy the beautiful fall colors. There are many great options for places to stay on Airbnb if you don’t feel comfortable in a hotel setting, and many of the hosts are meeting stricter cleaning requirements (we recommend sticking to “superhosts”). Please still wear a mask when you're in public, crowded places!
2. Virtual travel experiences:
If you read our Florence blog post, you know that the Uffizi is one of our favorite museums! They (and others) are now offering virtual tours that are more fun than anticipated. Check out the 360° view of the Uffizi's new halls here.
Also, Google Maps! This may seem lame, but we actually enjoy using Google Maps’ Street View 360° features. You can “walk” around some of your favorite places, and even some that you haven’t been to before (check THIS out as an example).
3. Enjoying a good travel book, TV show, or movie:
We love being immersed in a different world through media. Some of our recent (or long-time) favorites that remind us of travel include:
Books
-Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (also a movie)
-The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
-The Song of Achilles and Circe by Madeline Miller
-Less by Andrew Sean Greer
TV
-The Tudors (Netflix)
-Poldark (Amazon Prime)
-The Crown (Netflix)
-Outlander (Netflix)
-Restaurants on the Edge/Stay Here/Instant Hotel (For you reality TV lovers – all on Netflix).
Movies
-Eat, Pray, Love
-Under the Tuscan Sun
-In Bruges
-Only You
-Mamma Mia
4. Reminiscing on past travels
Don’t let the highs of former trips disappear just because you don’t have a new trip around the corner! We love putting together video collages and going through old pictures. If you’re into crafts, try putting together a scrapbook of your past travels (postcards, ticket stubs, etc.)! We recently put together this binder of our travels and love how it came out:
5. Planning a future trip
Last but not least, starting to think about where you will want to go once you can travel again is a great way to get into a better mindset! We are planning to simply push our plans for this year to next year, so hopefully you’ll see us in London, Belgium, and Amsterdam next summer!
Thanks for reading! We hope that these tips can help satisfy your wanderlust at least a little bit. Feel free to share any other ideas you have in the comments!
-Nikki + Pam
