Six Ways To Be A Better Armchair Traveller
Since the ability to freely travel has been, to put it mildly, put on hold for a while… we’ve been thinking a lot lately about how to become better armchair travelers.
Thankfully though, there are some pretty incredible resources and inspiration points right now to help keep your travel bug alive until you can get back out there. To get you started, here are six of our favorite ways to bring the world into your living room.
Get lost in a travel book or movie
Have you ever thought about how many of the best stories are about journeys? Maybe a stroll through Middle Earth isn’t the first place on your bucket list, but it’s one hell of a road trip story if you think about it. When real travel isn’t in the cards, thank god there’s an endless supply of stories to get lost in. And that’s even before you pull up your Netflix queue! The next time you’re feeling a little stir crazy, we highly suggest that you hike the Camino De Santiago, go restore a rundown Indian hotel, or (if at all possible) find yourself a hunky Brazilian in Bali.
Bring the world into your kitchen
Food is always our entry point into a new country or culture, and that doesn’t have to stop at home. You don’t have to travel to tickle your tastebuds. Spin a globe and get yourself in the kitchen! There are tons of websites providing excellent recipes from around the world. Serious Eats is a great start. Another fun idea is a global pantry subscription box, like Try The World. They send you a smattering of ingredients and snacks from a different country every month to help you branch out of your comfort zone. And hey, if cooking’s not your thing, why not support a local ethnic restaurant in your neighborhood? Delivery is a click away!
Puzzle your way through your bucket list
Take a moment and make a list of 7-9 places you either want to return to or can’t wait to wander through. Write them on a separate piece of paper and put them in a bowl. Draw one and buy a puzzle inspired by your pick. Voila; puzzle roulette!
Build a travel playlist
There are thousands of playlists on Spotify ready to whisk you away (we have a few ourselves), but since we’re killing time here… why not take time to curate the perfect soundtrack to listen to on your next airplane or car ride? Better yet, think of your next dream vacation and create a playlist based on that location to play while you make dinner.
Discover the world through museum tours
Our first stop in most cities (after a market) is to a museum. Call us biased, but we think that one of the best ways to connect to a culture is through its history and its art. Thanks to the good people at Google Arts & Culture, there are now some truly incredible digital exhibits and full virtual tours available to wander through some of our very favorite places. We’ve even made a little round-up of favorites to get you started!
Take a virtual workshop or course to get yourself prepped for your next adventure
Brush up on some skills that you can use when travel restrictions are lifted. Upping your photography skills or a sketching class could sure come in handy. We highly recommend BrightTrip. It’s travel education on steroids and a great recourse for anything from tips on your dream location or how to document an epic trip.
Still not enough? We’ve made a whole playlist of posts we call Mental Meanderings that’ll help you take a 10-minute vacation to some of our favorite places in the world. Might be worth bookmarking for a rainy, cooped up day.
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