Got those post trip blues or haven’t traveled in a while? Don’t worry, we’ve all been there! Andrew and I haven’t traveled outside of New England in over a year due to our home renovations. That’s a super long time for us. I LOVE to jump on a plane and wake up in Europe, so I’ve been finding ways to beat the no travel blues. Here are some things that help me satisfy my wanderlust when I’m not actually traveling.
Pick Up A Book
Books can transport you to a different place and time. I love to pick up a book set in a favorite travel destination because I can clearly picture the locale that is being described. Books,magazines and blogs also inspire my future travels to new places that I want to explore. If you are on goodreads you can search through community lists by keywords like wanderlust, France, solo travel, etc. Books that have helped me recently escape to far off places are One Italian Summer, The Paris Key, and One of the Girls.
Go Through Your Photos
Reliving those travel memories always puts a smile on my face. Printing off some favorite photos to create a scrapbook full of mementos from your travels is a fun way to preserve your experiences. If you want to be super fancy you could create a nice hardcover picture book. Sites like Mixbook or Vistaprint are great options for any budget for beautiful travel photo books.
Learn A New Language
As I write this post I am currently on a 1401 day streak on Duolingo. That’s almost 4 years! (yep, started during the pandemic) This daily practice has improved my French vocab and I am able to read and understand more spoken French. Am I still going to clam up when asked to use my French on an actual French person? Most likely, but in the event that I do try out my French I definitely have more skills than I learned in high school. 🙂
Plan Your Next Adventure
Daydreaming about your future travels always helps combat the blues of being home. Planning a trip is half the fun for me. I love researching different areas and getting to know a little about the culture and history before actually visiting. Busying oneself with where to go, where to stay, and what to do will help give you a little happiness boost knowing a new trip is in your future.
Get Cooking
Have a favorite meal from your travels? Try making it at home! I had the most delicious meal in Lille, France and after a few tries have perfected the dish. You can even take it a step further and throw a whole themed dinner around a destination. I love a theme night and we have them often. It’s a great way to “travel” in your own home. It helps to put on a playlist to match your destination. Some of my favorite sites to find tasty international dishes are Milk Street, Pardon Your French and Closet Cooking.
Explore Your Own City
Sometimes we forget how great our own home is. Get out an explore a local museum. Try that hot new restaurant. Support the arts by seeing a play or going to a concert. Root for the home team. It’s fun to play tourist in your own town and try things that you wouldn’t normally do. Many hotels also have deals for locals, check in with the ones near you.
I hope this list helps keep those no travel blues at bay! Well, at least until your next trip. 😉
