Wanderlust Hitting Hard? Here’s How We Cope When We Can’t Travel

Ever get that itching feeling to just pack a bag and go—even when you know you can’t right now? Same. That deep wanderlust doesn’t always care if life is busy, the budget is tight, or the next adventure is months away. When we’re feeling restless between trips, these are our favorite ways to stay inspired and connected to our love of travel—even from home.

It’s no secret that we love to travel. We love air travel, boat travel, and good old-fashioned road trips. The problem is, even the road trips are restricted because, where would we go where we wouldn’t be jeopardizing our health, but also keeping others safe? It’s a real bummer and has us wanderlusting… hard!

For 2020, we had the plan of going on a trip each month. We would have never thought that Savannah, in early March, would have been the last trip for a while. It’s not just wanting to travel right now, it’s future travel, too. We have a trip to The Keys planned this summer, and Paris over Christmas and New Year’s. You don’t even want to know how long we have had that trip on the books. Tears are suddenly filling my eyes again with the concern that Covid may ruin holiday plans, even later in the year.

So, how do we quench this wanderlust that we have, that is so deeply intense, that we may pull out our suitcases, just for nostalgic purposes? Well, I have worked diligently this week, putting together a list that I hope will help you, as much as it has us.

Our Favorite Ways to Satisfy Wanderlust Without Traveling

Plan Future Trips (Even If You Don’t Book Them Yet)

Plan trips! It sounds so easy, but literally, plan a trip, 5 trips, 10 trips… just plan them. Pretend this quarantine doesn’t exist and there are no limits. I have started to plan 12 trips (excluding the ones we had planned), so that the next time we are feeling the wanderlust (post-pandemic, of course), we can take a gander at the plans, and decide if we are up to a plane trip, or a road trip. They don’t have to be intense and huge (though planning those are a ton of fun), it’s really the process of figuring out what places you want to visit, how will you get there, what flight times are best, or the best directions, find lodging, etc. Maybe an awesome camping trip is one of your trips- great! Make a packing list of all you will need for the trip. The other really great thing to do, is to make a list of the things you want to do when you get to your destination. Somehow the whole experience is more tangible when you research restaurants, museums, parks, hiking trails, or whatever you fancy

Take Virtual Tours of Your Dream Destinations

Visit virtually. If you’re an art lover, tons of museums are allowing digital/virtual tours right now. Have you ever wanted to visit Uffizi Gallery in Florence, or the Georgia O’keefe Museum in Santa Fe? Now is your chance, and you can feel like you have ventured into a different city through your laptop. I have revisited museums I went to in Europe years prior, to reminisce, and of course to see the changes since the days in which I explored them.

Watch Travel Docs and Shows That Fuel the Itch

Watch travel documentaries, and films about travel. Interested in Asia? Check out “Street Food” on Netflix. “Pedal the World” is about a guy who bikes across 22 countries. For a ton of humor in your travels, check out “Conan Without Borders”.

Read Books That Transport You Somewhere New

Read books about travel. NY Times Bestselling author, Tricia O’Malley has a book coming out in June called, “Ms. Bitch” where the main character fulfills her lifelong dream to travel the world. I am really looking forward to reading it. Eat, Pray, Love is a reliable, real life story about finding one’s self through travel. Don’t watch the film, read the book. It is much better! Ernest Hemingway is known for him imagery in writing about various locations, so don’t be afraid to go back to the classics

Reminisce + Get Excited About Future Stamps in Your Passport

Pull out your passports. Look at the stamps of the places you’ve been, or imagine them filled with the places you will go. Why not support an etsy shop and purchase a handmade/repurposed passport cover to get you ready for your next trip

While wanderlust seems a bit painful at the moment, there really is nothing as motivating as yearning to travel, to get you to move forward with the act of venturing to new destinations. So, while we are wanderlusting… hard, we must be a little appreciative for that desire, to keep the travel fire burning, even past Covid. Happy adventures, all!

If you have the urge to escape when life feels too routine, check out Are You Addicted to Escaping?

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