5 Ways to Stay Travel-Inspired During Quarantine
For those of us who live for weekend adventures and frequent vacations, COVID-19 has really thrown a wrench in our 2020 plans. But fear not my friends, there are plenty of great ways to stay connected to your inner explorer while being stuck on your couch!
Here are my top 5 tips for a successful travel from home season.
1) Make a Local Bucket List
One of my life mottos is “Always do things while you have the chance”.
I can’t even count the number of times in my life where I didn’t heed this advice and kicked myself for it later. Think about it. How many times have you said, “Next weekend we’ll go camping. FOR REAL.” …and then here we are, 3 years later, with an untouched list of camping spots and brand new tents & sleeping bags from REI still sitting in our closets.
Now is a great time to sit down and make a list of all those really cool places in your very own backyard. The places you’ve always thought about visiting but never actually made it to. The places that you find yourself saying, “Oh yeah I heard of that, we should really go there!”, but then forget about until next time someone mentions it.
Some things to think about putting on your list are local restaurants, food trucks, hikes, museums, botanical gardens, nature reserves, seasonal events (outdoor movies in the summer, pumpkin patches in the fall, berry picking seasons, etc.), and popular tourist spots that you may have overlooked.
* Here’s a peek at my Los Angeles: Local Bucket List *
2) Visit a National or State Park
Getting outdoors has so many proven benefits for your mental and physical health. The best part is, it doesn’t have to be anything extravagant! It can be as simple as taking a walk around your neighborhood on a nice day. However, since many of us are bittersweetly blessed with extra time right now, I fully encourage you to go the extra mile and explore some real nature!
National Parks are stunning and always worth the road trip, but many State and Local parks are much closer and will often leave you happily surprised. Tip: Do your research first to see which ones are open during social distancing.
Last weekend we took a trip to Ledges State Park in Iowa (about 30 min from our house). I was expecting the usual woods and trails, but was shocked when we stumbled across this gorgeous lookout point in my cover photo!
Pin this post for later:
3) Start that Travel Scrapbook
If you’re like me, you’ve probably got a box labeled “Travel Memories” that’s full of photos, ticket stubs, map cutouts, dried leaves and stickers just waiting to be used. And that box has probably been sitting in your closet for a loooooong time (personally mine has been there for the past year and half). Somehow we just “never have the time” to do it, right?
Well my friends, NOW is the time! Clear off a big table, pull out that box, and take a trip down memory lane. While you reminisce on all of your past travel memories, you’ll most likely be inspired to make new ones once we are all allowed back into the world again.
SaricaStudios and Everyday Explorers are my two favorite accounts to follow for scrapbooking inspiration!
4) Virtual Hiking & Running
During this COVD-19 crisis, the #1 discovery that I’ve made is the iFit interactive personal training program. iFit is available on NordicTrack (what I use), Pro-Form, and Free Motion products.
From the first time I tried it, I was instantly hooked and cannot stop raving about it.
There are tons of options for workouts and travel destinations. You can do an interval run on the beach in Costa Rica, a hike through the Swiss Alps, or even interact with elephants on a Thailand Elephant Sanctuary endurance run.
The options are endless and I’m addicted. Talk about the ultimate #TravelFromHome experience!
If you don’t have a treadmill, no worries! There are tons of similar, no cost, no equipment needed programs on the web. Check out The Run Experience for some great workouts.
Running through Chiang Mai , Thailand from my home!
5) Create a Pinterest Inspo Board
Usually my trips come up so last minute that I don’t have much time to plan and coordinate, but when I have the time, I like to create really detailed boards for each trip. I pin everything I’m interested in seeing / doing. This usually includes outdoor adventure opportunities, travel guides, animal experiences, outfit ideas, and of course, instagrammable photo spots!
What are you doing during Quarantine to feed your inner traveler? Did any of these ideas help soothe your wanderlust-ing souls? Leave a comment or connect with me on Instagram and let me know how you’re #TravelingFromHome !
Until Next Time,
Julana
