The other day, I found myself longing — for the umpteenth time — to be on the road again, to be off wandering somewhere completely brand new. Really, to be doing anything but sitting at my desk (that startup life is gonna get you someday).
So instead of moping, I decided to start planning my trip to Mexico City and Peru. I’ve always loved the planning process — researching offbeat hikes and treks, best cheap eats, free things to see and do, and mapping them all out onto Google Maps. Sifting through potential Couchsurfing hosts and scoping out quirky hostels (especially ones with resident cats). Putting that planning mind to work and somehow convincing my friends to let me plan their trips as well — yes, of course you want to do that weird hike that may or may not be an actual trail. Of course, I also take that always-travelling attitude to neighbourhoods and cities in my own backyard…often in the form of exploring new restaurants! There’s no quicker way to my heart than through my stomach… (that analogy may not have worked, or be anatomically correct.)
Check out how these six other travel bloggers temper their restlessness in between travels.
Walk in the footsteps of the greats — Laura from Collecting Labels
When I can’t travel, I turn to travel writing. I pick up books by Paul Theroux and Bill Bryson. I read novels that take place in foreign lands like those by Khaled Hosseini or Hemingway. I read blogs and travel websites. I travel vicariously through other people’s words. It totally transports me to another place and fills the void when I’m not on the road.
Live vicariously through other bloggers — Vannessa from Adventure with V
I find that what really works for me in dealing with this situation is reading about other people’s adventures. Books are a great way to escape somewhere else, but I find that reading someone’s personal blog is more effective at curbing my wanderlust. Bonus points if they do vlogs as it makes me feel like I am going along with them on their journey! I also tend to watch more movies or shows that feature unique/exotic homes in different countries. It’s not the same as actually going to these places, but it does the trick for the time being.
Netflix and snacks — Jennifer from World on a Whim
When I am not traveling, I get reverse culture shock to the max! In order to make myself feel better about the fact that I am not adventuring the world, I first change my DVR settings to “keep all” for House Hunters International on HGTV. That way I can store 123 episodes and sift through the ones that are located in places that I have traveled to in the past. The second way I deal with this looming bout of nostalgia is by going to restaurants that serve the same type of food that I love eating when I travel. For example, I always look for tapas bars that serve wine from the Rioja region in Spain as well as patatas bravas, croquettes, and any sort of goat cheese concoction.
Draw inspiration from beautiful visuals — Carlie from A Cajun in Cali
When I’m feeling down because I can’t travel, I turn to images to lift my spirits and inspire my writing. Much of my life is centered around images, so it’s no wonder they have a strong ability to help me overcome my negative emotions. When I get tired of looking at my own travel pics, I turn to Pinterest to inspire my future travels and future travel pics. Reading other’s travel stories always lifts my spirits and keeps me motivated. Like a good book, there’s nothing like an immersive, well-composed travel photo to connect you to another world. In the words of Pretty Woman, it’s “just geography”.
Keep your travel blog game strong — Justine from Jusz Travel
When I am stuck in Canada because of work or other responsibilities and I can’t travel, I find other things to feed my wanderlust. One of the things I do is that I blog about my past travel experiences. I do it at home because when I am on the road, I would rather enjoy the moment of being there than being glued to my computer typing away about my experience. Of course, I occasionally post photos and updates on social media on the road but that’s it. At home, I also daydream about my next travel destination and I do my research. Stalking other travellers’ social media accounts is also one of my favourite ways of feeding my wanderlust at home.
Keep exploring and be grateful for your experiences! — Rob from The Zanzibar Chest
Wanderlust? Pah! Keep wandering, even if you have to do it in your headspace. Work with what you’ve got! I’m not too proud to live my travelling life through others – discover new travelling blogs and engage with them. Read travelling books. Invite couchsurfers of different nationalities, learn their world and take pride in showing them yours. Also, cook a meal from a different country or watch a travel-related documentary on the TV. Edit (for the 100th time!) your old travel photos and put yourself back in those places – meditate on those experiences. Take a new route around your city – walk down different streets. You’ll be surprised what you’ll find. Make a list of your next destinations, then change it….then make it again. Laugh manically, then sit and breathe and thank the Universe for the ocean of possibility that the world represents.
Great post!!!
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Reblogged this on Travelosio.
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Thank you for sharing! 😊
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Thanks for including me in the collaboration! Great job on the post!
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Thanks for being part of it!
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I love these ideas! Especially trying restaurants and keeping up with the travel blog.
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Thanks for this post, can get useful… 😉
Sometimes our own city and region can also offer us something new and exciting. It’s worth to explore these places in between our travels. I have soooo much more to see around my home town and in Poland in general. I can’t wait to go on a next trip again, but I’m also excited every time I discover an unknown side of a familiar place 😉
Cheers!
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Great post! I definitely do the local travel when I feel wanderlust. Explore your city with a new lens. Find a new neighbourhood to explore, a new walk to take or challenge yourself to take interesting photos at home!
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Local photo walks are great, especially when you find something that’s been hiding in plain sight all along!
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YES, I can relate to all of these. The reverse culture shock, the power-watching films & TV series (Masterchef Australia is my vice), working on the blog and saving up desperately and actually obsessively planning my next trip. The problem is real!
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Anthony Bourdain’s travel/food show “No Reservations” definitely feeds (ha) my wanderlust further!
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I love this post. I’ll have to keep this in mind while I wait for September to come.
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Where is September taking you?
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Thanks for the suggestions. We can’t travel far for long periods because of our school schedule…we do lots of weekend trips to new locales within driving distance.
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Thar sounds lovely! I’ve been doing a lot of exploring the nearby suburbs lately – and been pleasantly surprised! Who knew that residential New Westminster now had a river market and brewery? 😜
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House Hunters International, yes!! I would also say talking in depth with others who just got back from traveling and asking a lot of questions about their experiences. It sounds simple, but sometimes the reverse culture shock kicks in when you get back, you feel like an entirely different person in the same setting, and people are getting sick of hearing you talk about “[Insert country] this, [same country] that.” I try to recognize this in others so I can indulge them in talking about their adventures without them feeling like they’re boring me. 🙂
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I try to explore the area I am in. Find the unseen scenery and hidden gems, every city has them! This is great, reading is an amazing escape. ♡
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this is great! I’m that girl that has already booked a ticket somewhere else before I’ve landed back home in Sydney… 🙂
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Meeee tooooo! My partner has told me “no booking any more trips before you’ve even gone to the upcoming ones!”
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Hahah, my bf is the one who keeps saying we shouldn’t bother going home for a visit and just stay away instead!
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This is great! I’ll definitely be putting these into practice as I have another 4 months at home before I get to travel. Such great ideas!
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Loved this post!
I definitely relate to many of those. I am always planning trips that I get to do in a long period of time, but it is always good to think about what to do with your wanderlust in the time you’re not actually traveling.
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I love watching inspirational videos or travel vlogs 🙂
http://malindkate.com/2016/01/10/my-favourite-inspirational-travel-videos/
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Thanks for sharing!
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I try to plan more activities locally. Seeing more of my own city keeps me busy.
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I love these comments, especially Rob’s advice! Thanks for sharing, it makes me feel less alone as someone who isn’t always traveling 🙂 And yes, start up life will get us one day!
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Love this! Definitely need some of this advice 🙂
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I always read adventure books, or check out a few travel vlogs! well written article, and adorable blog name ❤
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I really needed this! I am constantly thinking about my next trip 🙂
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