We’re living in a pretty extraordinary time right now. Coronavirus (COVID-19) is the world’s biggest global health crisis of our lifetime. The virus is affecting our health, our economies and of course, our travel plans. While I’d love to be able to wave a magic wand and make it all go away, or take back time with the power of my mind, It’s time to sit tight, be respectful and careful, and plan for the future. In the meantime, I have rounded up some of my favourite ways to travel the world without leaving the comfort of your home. So, as you read this article get ready and buckle up for your next virtual trip.

Learn to cook something from another country!

When I travel one of my favourite things to do is to taste the traditional cuisine of the country I am in. So If you love to experiment with different flavours and have a bit more time to get creative, stay away from the same old, join a culinary adventure! There are plenty of recipes that you can follow online. Some of my favourite dishes that I love to make are:

Gnocchi - Italy
Sushi - Japan
Guacamole - Mexico
Paella - Spain

Or you can mix up some exotic cocktails :

Mojito - Cuba
Pisco Sour - Peru
Piña Colada - Puerto Rico

There are SO many delicious dishes from around the world, that you’ll never get bored trying something new!

Plan your next trip!

Do you know which is your next destination? If not, go one step back and get inspired first. If you do, it’s research time! I love to get lost as a first impression in a new place. I feel like a child discovering something around the corner. And I absolutely advocate for everyone to leave time to wander. But I also want to make sure I don’t miss out on the must-see. So, I always read about a destination, as much as possible, and bookmark in my map the places I want to make sure I’ll visit. After that first day of walking aimlessly, I do follow my own research to see all the landmarks, museums, and the quirky things that got my attention.
Also, researching helps to understand the destination better. When you know a bit of the history and familiarize yourself with the traditions and the culture, for sure you’ll make a lot more of your trip.

Watch movies, foreign cinematography or series that take you away!

While researching for your next vacation, or while writing down your bucket list, you might want to draw inspiration from movies or series showcasing different parts of the world. I love re-watching a few favourites to draw inspiration such as Eat Pray Love, Midnight in Paris, Into the Wild and Call Me by Your Name.

Read travel related books!

The same goes for literature. Books are an amazing way to travel without leaving the comfort of our couch. They transport us in space in time, to the most incredible places someone can imagine. The sheer distances they take our imaginations, and the miles they inspire us to hike, drive and fly—those are the things that matter when it comes to books. And sometimes, reading a travel book can be as transformative as the journey itself.

Print out your favourite travel photos or make a scrapbook!

What better way to reconnect with your travels than to look back through your adventures one photo at a time. I have few travel journals from my first trips, which have tickets, photos and mementoes stuck in. As I get older, they’re lovely to flick through and remember all the little details and the people I met along the way. With everything online, we rarely print photos these days, so choose your fave snaps and pop them in frames or a scrapbook to look back at later in life. You can even upload to a website like Photobox, and they’ll print them and post them to you.

Learn A Foreign Language Using An App!

Whether its to be able to order a meal on your next vacation, communicate with a friend in his preferred language, or to simply add a skill set to your resume, now it’s the perfect time to learn a new language. If you find it easier to study online there are many great language learning apps that will guide you thought learning a language from start to finish or even help you sharpen language skills that you may already have. I personally have preferred Duolingo as you can have it on your phone even offline and as you learn every section you complete moves you forward to more difficult tasks, to build on your vocabulary and sentence structure. You have the option of testing out of several sections at once if you’re familiar with the language, and Duolingo will adapt the questions based on how well you do. It’s a great way to reach your language goals.

Immerse yourself in the music of another destination!

This is actually one of my favourite ways to get ready for a trip, but there’s no reason you can’t do it when you’re staying at home too. Did you know that Spotify has top charts for countries around the world?
This is another great method to trigger your interest on learning a new language as you listen to the music of another culture. So mix it up and get creative.

Watch YouTube videos from your favourite Travel Vloggers!

YouTube is a great place for travel inspiration. Before I travel somewhere new, I often watch a few videos to get an idea of what it’s like. Even if you’re not travelling right now, watching videos is a great way to transport yourself to your dream destination.

I hope this fun guide has given you some inspiration if you’re stuck at home or your travel plans have been postponed.

Lots of love,
x Katerina