I think it’s safe to say that sometimes things don’t go to plan. 2020 was going to be everyone’s year and we were going to smash it! When I came home from my year in Australia I didn’t plan to be in England for very long. I was excited to start my next big adventure in six months, with little ones in between then. Within that six months, however, the world seemed to have burned down. I was stuck at home in England for the indeterminate future. It was a struggle to keep inspired when I couldn’t travel. Now we can use that knowledge to stay inspired when we can’t travel.
Coming home was a surreal experience. I had been on this massive adventure that I had always dreamed of doing, after all that I came home and things were… Well, it was like I had never left. Everything was business as usual, and that was even more surreal. The change from living out of my backpack to having my king-size bed back was a definite treat! Being able to finally see my family too was the icing on the cake. But as someone who has embraced travelling, the ease and speed at which I settled back in were a little unnerving. Before long I was raring to go again.
Fast forward to six months later and instead of being in New Zealand like planned, I was stuck amidst the coronavirus like everyone else; I had gone back to my job in the London Ambulance Service which I had quit and had never expected to go back to. I had also moved to my dad’s house to stay on his sofa bed to protect my grandparents from infection. On top of that, my partner had to go home to Canada before the borders closed. Not what I had expected!
But I am incredibly lucky to have my family and friends socially-distancing around me, and a job where I can help people until I can continue my travels. A lot of people felt in limbo, stuck, and unable to do very much at all.
So, I think it’s important that we keep ourselves busy and interested in the world around us. We need to remember the good and beautiful things in the world. Below are some ideas to help you keep inspired when you can’t travel.
Virtual tours
There are a ton of virtual tours and exploring that you can do, and honestly, I think this idea is genius! I love to explore museums and parks, and the world is now opening up virtually. There are tours of museums from around the world. These include the American Museum of National History in New York, to Windsor Castle in England. There are even virtual hikes through US national parks like Yellowstone and the Australian outback. This is also a great idea for a date with friends and partners.
There are online classes, like a street-view walk through Disneyland and watch rollercoaster rides from a first-person view. I found three good articles with a comprehensive overview here:
Watch theatre shows online
There are many free things to watch online now since lockdown began in the UK. One of these is theatre shows and plays. I’ve watched a couple of Shakespeare plays from the Globe, “1984” by Northern Ballet, and I’m still finding more to watch. They make great little virtual dates with my partner too.
You can find them on YouTube or directly through the websites themselves, like the National Theatre and Shakespeare’s Globe. There’s also a collection on the Theatre Online website.
Catch up online with friends and family
If you have been away travelling it can be difficult to keep in regular contact with friends and family back home. So now is the perfect time to check up on them and make sure they’re doing okay. You may have more time now and you’re probably dying to tell everyone about your adventures. They want to know too! Even with all the weird little details and mishaps, it’s good to laugh and you feel lighter after having a good chat.
Keep in contact with friends you made on your travels
It’s great to hear how they are doing and where in the world they are right now. What stories they have to tell? Ask about what their home is like and arrange to visit each other and show them around when all this is over. You make friendships with people that are unlike any others when travelling, don’t let that disappear once you leave. You could even plan future trips with them!
Read travel books
Keep inspired with good stories from around the world. Immerse yourself in their adventures and you may find inspiration for your next one. Even if they are city guidebooks from Lonely Planet. It can be so much fun to plan what you would do, and keep that for future reference!
I enjoyed Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s technically about the ultra-marathon but it’s an incredible story that leads him through Mexico and he learns from the Tarahumara tribe. It blends my interest in running and adventure so it was a great read for me.
Watch travel shows and documentaries
Everyone loves a good travel documentary. Whether it’s the comedy of An Idiot Abroad or the more nature-inspired Our Planet, they always capture your imagination with their stunning visuals. There are always good ones on Netflix or Amazon Prime to keep you busy for days. Plus, you feel less guilty spending all day watching Netflix if it’s educational, right?
Research future travels
Linked to reading the travel guides above, it’s always fun to figure out where to go next. Think of some new destinations you want to explore, maybe even places you never really thought about before, and research them. Find out what they are known for, their history, what their cuisine is like, and any quirky things to do. The stranger, the better. Making plans is exciting and gives you something to look forward to when the world starts to open up again.
Reflect about your travels
Now is a great time to sit down and think about everywhere you have been and everything you have done. When we are travelling we don’t have the time to do this. So now is an opportunity to reflect and record it all.
What were your highlights? What did you learn? Would you do anything different next time?
Meditate on everything you have accomplished. Start a journal so you don’t forget any major details, or update your current journal if you haven’t done so in a while. Make a scrapbook, edit some pictures, and print them out to frame. Make Facebook photo albums to store everything in one place. You could even do little challenges like posting one picture a day from your travels on Instagram.
Collect and organise your memories, it will be an amazing thing to look back on them later!
Learn about your local area and country
This is a great idea to keep inspired when you can’t travel. Fall in love with your home again. Everything may feel stagnant right now but your country is beautiful too. Sometimes we get caught up in travelling to faraway exotic places… we forget we have beauty right on our doorstep too. It wasn’t until I started travelling that I realised how cool and historical London is, and how beautiful England is in general – you tend to take your hometown for granted.
I recently wrote a post about things to do in Greenwich – where I’m from – and became engrossed in its history, excitedly telling my family the history that we walk through without even realising it! Before leaving my partner and I also went around central London to see lots of cool quirky things that I previously hadn’t realised were there.
Go explore your country – go hiking, driving, running. This may need to wait slightly until things start opening up again but just researching it will give you a good idea for when they do.
Keep your fitness up
There are loads of workouts online to keep you fit and healthy while in lockdown. From weights to cardio, to even dancing. Or you can start running again, like I have. It’s a great way to keep your body and mind healthy. Plus I want to keep active so I don’t get too worn out when it’s time to start exploring again.
Look after your mental health
I think everyone has taken a bit of a knock lately, so it’s important to keep yourself mentally healthy too. Even if you think you are doing well, take some time to do some mindful practices, like meditation and yoga. Ask yourself if you are doing okay, and talk to those around you.
On the other side of the coin, make sure those around you are doing okay too. It’s all part of keeping in touch with each other.
Volunteer
Is there a way to volunteer to help your community? If you are finding yourself furloughed or working less this can be a great way to do some good whilst filling your time. Get down to your local soup kitchen to see if they need an extra pair of hands. Or even check on your family and neighbours to see if they need anything.
Plus, if you do it through Workaway you get to meet like-minded people from all around the world. Look out for each other! Do some good.
Learn to cook a meal you loved to eat on your travels
Transport yourself back to your holidays by learning to cook a meal you loved, or the country’s signature dishes. It’s an amazingly useful skill to learn to cook different foods and it will impress your family and friends. It will also keep you busy for quite a while if you’re an awful cook like me! Or you could learn to cook something you’ve never tried before, maybe from a country you want to visit. The world is your oyster!
Create a bucket list
Similar to collecting your stories and memories together, create a bucket list for the things you want to do in the future. Let your imagination run wild and have fun with it. You could even include some of the things you have already ticked off, just to get a head start. I have a bucket list that I have been working on casually but now I’m dedicating more time to it, and it’s so refreshing. I wrote an article with lots of ideas to get you started.
My partner, Dane, has an absolutely massive bucket list with over 4,000 things on it. It’s mental, but it’s a lot of fun finding, planning, and ticking things off our lists together. You can see his list on his website lookingformyawe.
Use social media to find inspiration
Seeing as we are spending a lot of time on it anyway – use it to find inspiration, like new travel destinations, or even a new way of travelling. Change up your ideas. Look at how different styles work, like budget travel, biking, camping, or luxurious styles. YouTube is great for a change in perspective too. It’s good to find tips and tricks to help you in the future.
Learn a language
Learning a second language will be a whole world of help. There are loads of free ways you can practice, like Duolingo and YouTube. Learn the language basics of where your next destination will be. Or learn a popular one like Spanish or even Mandarin. Make it a challenge and know that it’s an impressive skill to learn!
Learn new skills
Speaking of skills, there’s always more that we could be learning. Has there been a skill that you always wanted to learn? Or that you know will help you on your travels? You could learn how to budget, how to save money, and how to speak to strangers. Have fun with it!
Keep up to date with current affairs
It is difficult right now but it’s important to be up to date with everything that is going on in the world. I immersed myself in the world when I travelled so I want to know what is going on in it. There are always more resources to educate yourself and have that compassion for people, wherever they are.
Create a blog
That’s what I did! Granted, I’m still very much learning how to do it and I have a long way to go. But it’s a great way to learn lots of new skills, and also get your travel experiences out there. Even if it’s only just a personal project you will feel so accomplished once you learn how to do something new. You will certainly always be learning. Your friends and family can see it too, and you can impart your little nuggets of wisdom to others. You have things to talk about, so share them!
Phew, that was a lot of words that spilled out there.
In all seriousness, I understand and appreciate that right now is a difficult and unprecedented time for everyone. Whilst some may be going stir-crazy and itching to get back out in the world, others may need to take a time out and breathe. Some people may be finding themselves with loads of time on their hands, and others are incredibly busy with responsibilities. It can be overwhelming, so just breathe, and take one day at a time. It’s always okay to ask for help too.
If you want to, then sit in your pajamas all day watching Netflix. You don’t have to be productive all the time. Focus on looking after yourself and those around you, the world will be waiting for you when you are ready.
