Sadly since Covid, lockdowns have forced frequent homestays, in our own homes nonetheless, bringing the ability to travel locally to naught for a lot of us. International travel too has been packed away in a shrink-wrapped suitcase and marked ‘save’ for a later, waaay later, date.
For many of us who have tasted the sweetness of exploring our world, the current practice of have-passport-must-stay-grounded can bring on a little cabin-fever for any travel-loving soul. But long past the world re-opening, creative ideas for exploring don’t need a pandemic to make them relevant. A little wanderlust is all you need to carry the world across the threshold and into your home.
Europe has been a romance of mine. I don’t know how it got into my heart, but it grew a tree with leaves and branches that I continue to explore even from the shores of home. When I thought of travel it was Italy, Malta, France. Anywhere with a cobbled street and a croissant. Our sourdough love story began on one such adventure. But more recently, with family living in Bangkok for a time (back when borders were open freely), Mark and I took a trip through Asia. And then another.
Pause.
There are no croissants or cobbled streets in Asia. There are a lot of dumplings, loose wires and manic motorbikes.
And…
We loved it. It was so different. In every direction. Up. Down. Inside out. Some parts were messy, noisy, fast, busy cuisine-cluttered jungles. Others were thoughtful, peaceful, ordered, contemplative sanctuaries.
Technology and architecture – far more advanced than Australia co-habiting with food stalls that would attract the Food Safety Commission here in Aus. It was a journey of contrasts.
Surprisingly, that’s what I miss. I miss the new, the different, the things I’ve never seen before. I’m so thankful. We loved Asia so much we returned within a year, getting a second trip in just before Covid 19, landing home just weeks before all of our worlds changed.
But when the soul longs and you have lemons, it’s time to cheer up and make lemonade. Limitations can be invitations; boxes create opportunities to innovate. So even when there are restrictions on travel, there are ways of travelling adventurously while staying at home. Oh. And satisfying that serious itch to be out of our depth exploring again.
Let’s go!
10 ADVENTUROUS IDEAS TO OVERCOME STAY-AT-HOME BLUES AND INSPIRE TRAVEL
1. MEAL MEMOIRS
Oh! Vietnam. Gentle friendly people riding the gruntiest motorbikes and beeping their horns all day in politeness. I miss your quiet food. Vibrant, handmade bundles packed with as much gentle, fresh flavour as the people.
Across from our accommodation was a family-run restaurant Song Thu. It was there that I discovered Com Ga. Hoi An’s sophisticated yet humble chicken rice. I rarely order the same thing twice. I love the experiment of trying new things. However, the one evening I did change my choice, I missed that wonderful, homely chicken rice. And after that, I did something I’ve never done before, I ordered Com Ga every night until we left for the airport.
We’ve all had a holiday meal that stayed with us; the burger at that cafe you randomly stopped at on the way to the train in Boston. The noodles from that tiny street stall in Shanghai. The oysters we shared at the bay in Ireland. We’ve all had a moment where the food caused us to pause.
It’s time to pause again. Hunt down that menu, find a recipe to replicate it and recreate that meal at home. If you can put an image of the place you were, on your television screen or set the table in a similar fashion to the original moment all the better! Recreate that travel sile again!
Com Ga.. a new comfort food taking me ‘home’ to the Thu Bon river in Vietnam
2. EXPLORE A NEW EXPERIENCE
YouTube has everything. Like everything.
You can learn guitar, make a cake that looks like a hamburger and visit the Maeklong Railway Market in Bangkok Thailand! How about taking a beach camel ride in Pakistan? Or boarding a Gondola in Venice followed by dangling your legs from a helicopter in New York? You can even walk along Bondi Beach and sail along the coveted Amalfi Coast.
If you get into this and see something you love, share it with the rest of us by posting the link in the comments below! Love to see!
3. DINNER & A MOVIE
We love foreign films and if they have subtitles we love them even more! So this is not a new thing for us, however, we’ve begun taking it a little more seriously lately and adding to our foreign film of choice, a meal of matching cuisine. We recently enjoyed two Italian movies and a night of pizza and.. pizza leftovers.
Pick a country, order takeaway in their national cuisine and watch a movie set, filmed or home-grown there. #subtitlesaren’ttooscary
Italy with family 2008…
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
A night in Italy… during lockdown
🎬 Some of our recent foreign film watches
| Country | Film (Click for Trailer) | Genre | Language | English Subtitles |
| France | Welcome to the Sticks | Comedy | French | Yes |
| Blind Date | Comedy | French | Yes | |
| Stuck Together | Comedy | French | Yes | |
| Nothing to Hide | Comedy Drama | French | Yes | |
| He even has your eyes | True Story | French | Yes | |
| The Climb | True Story | French | Yes | |
| Under the Eiffel Tower | Romantic Comedy | English | No | |
| Poland | Squared Love | Romantic Comedy | Polish | Yes or dubbing |
| Italy | The Italian Job | Action Thriller | English | No |
| Under the Tuscan Sun | Romantic Comedy Drama | English | No | |
| Germany | Isi & Ossi | Romantic Comedy | German | Yes |
| China | The Farewell | True Story | English & Chinese | Yes |
| Singapore | Crazy Rich Asians | Comedy | English | No |
| Australia | The Castle | Comedy | English | No |
| New Zealand | Sione’s Wedding | Comedy | English | No |
| Austria | The Sound of Music | Musical / Based on a True Story | English | No |
If you have a favourite foreign film set in a country that you don’t live in, please share in the comments – let’s add to the inspiration!
4. JOIN A TOUR
I’ve always wanted to visit Cinque Terre, a cluster of 5 villages built into the rugged, steep landscape that overlooks the Ligurian Sea in Italy. Paths, trains, and boats connect the villages. It’s very difficult for cars due to the narrowness and steepness of the roads. So hit the roads on foot through YouTube, walk around Riomaggiore, one of the 5 colourful Cinque Terra villages. The sky is perfectly blue for a stroll!
Explore the Pyramids in Egypt or walk down the busy streets of Tokyo. Wander around Dehli in India, Taormina Sicily or pop your thermals on and walk through Yakutsk Russia, the world’s coldest city. Maybe you can choose somewhere you’d like to go or… visit somewhere you’ve already been!
5. TRY A NEW FOREIGN CUISINE OR MAKING YOUR FAV FROM SCRATCH
Venture out of your comfort zone and explore cuisine from a country you haven’t visited. Try Afghan, Nepalese, or pavlova and a meat pie if you’re not Australian! If unfamiliar food is a bit intimidating, try making a favourite international meal from scratch.
Scan the web for some inspiration to set the table like a home-stay from that nation and play some cultural music. You might be at home, but you can be anywhere in the world…
Let others (and myself!) know in the comments below what you tried or are thinking of trying! We just might venture there too. 😊
6. MOOD SHIFTING MOMENTS
Youtube has some incredible 4K scenic and aerial views set to various music moods. Be still and watch them play full or play them in the background to set a mood and catch your view every now and then.
Fly through Dubai, explore Austria, Monetenegro, New Zealand, Santorini Greece – you choose!
7. DARE TO DOCU
Our planet and its people are utterly fascinating and worth celebrating. Documentaries celebrate the wonder without the distraction of the shine. Series such as A Journey through Mongolia, Shepherding in Afganistan, or The Happy Kingdom (Bhutan). I personally loved watching Charlie Boorman and Ewan McGregor as they travel the world on motorbikes, stayed with locals, camped under the stars and on foreign roadsides in their 3-part Long Way series:
– Long Way Round
– Long Way Down
– Long Way Up
If you’re passionate about looking after people and our planet, there is an incredible reality docu TV-series that journies the world alongside brave travellers as they experience the living, working, social and economical conditions of producing some of their favourite items.
– Blood, Sweat, and Luxuries
– Blood, Sweat and T-Shirts
– Blood, Sweat and Takeaways
8. LET OTHER TRAVELLERS BE YOUR GUIDE
Others have travelled where you’d love to go. They have found fabulous eats, avoided (or survived) issues in foreign countries and lived to share their love. So if you’re a wanderlust lover and would like tips, ideas and inspiration – be inspired by fellow travellers!
Don’t know where to start? Check out Laura The Explorer. She has touched down in 2/3rds of our planet, lived in Morocco and taught hundreds of students in semi-rural Australia. Visit her blog, follow her on Instagram and join her community on facebook.
Laura also has 7 unique ideas for getting your travel fix when you can’t travel. And they are totally different to mine! Scratch that itch peeps and get your travel on!
9. YOUR DAILY FIX
Follow EarthPix on Instagram. Their reels, posts and stories will take you all over the world in incredible and various ways, daily.
10. PARTICIPATE IN A LIVE ONLINE CLASS OR EXPERIENCE
Get your travel fix and connect live with someone’s class or tour overseas via zoom. Soak in their accent and cultural surroundings as you learn a new skill or have some fun.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
– Learn how to make coffee with a Columbian
– Take a dance class in Argentina
– Make fresh pasta in Sicily
– Chase Auroras in Iceland
– Meet a llama in Australia and learn how to draw them
– Join an Indonesian cooking class
10 Adventurous ideas for getting travelling the world during Covid and lockdown! However, we don’t need a pandemic to explore our planet in these unique ways. They are available any time you feel like having a little travel adventure and you don’t need a mask, passport or a tonne of savings to do it.
If you try any of these ideas, have your own creative travel-spark, watch something you love or make an international meal that inspires you – comment below so we can all share the wonder. x MJ
