TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD WITHOUT LEAVING YOUR COUCH
During this time of self-quarantine you might find yourself getting bored and aimlessly surfing the internet but I have a way you can still get your travel fix while in the comfort and safety of your own home.
LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE
While we’re all stuck at home let’s make the most of it by learning a new language. If you plan to visit France maybe take up some general French courses online. A personal favorite of mine is Memrise, I’m a visual learner and this app is all about memorization! I used this app while I was in high school to learn German and it’s interactive, you can repeat videos if needed to help you understand and memorize certain pronunciations. A few other suggestions are Duolingo, FluentU, and Babbel. The great thing about all four of these learning websites are that they are also available in the app store so you can download them on your electronic devices.
WATCH A TRAVEL MOVIE
When I was younger I first got interested in traveling when I watched The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants so maybe watching a few movies will help inspire you to visit somewhere new!
If you are in desperate need of visiting Italy a few movies I recommend are Letters to Juliet, Eat Pray Love and Call Me by Your Name. They are mainly romance movies but doesn’t romance come to mind when you think of Italy?
Continuing on with a few other romance movies, if you’re more in the mood for a UK setting maybe try out About Time, Notting Hill, or Bridget Jones's Diary. If you aren’t in the mood for romance or drama movies than have a movie marathon and watch all the Harry Potter movies, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Paddington 1 & 2, Hot Fuzz, or Austin Powers.
WRITE ABOUT YOUR PAST TRIPS
If you don’t have a journal this would be a great time to start! Writing down your past trips is a great way to relive your awesome adventures. I personally have a journal to remember my past trips and remember what a great time I had. I also like to write down activities that I didn’t get to do so that next time I am in a certain city I’ll add it to my itinerary.
ORGANIZE YOUR SOUVENIRS
Take the time to organize all your souvenirs and knick-knacks that you have picked up along your travels. One way to display your items is to make a gallery wall, if you are a collector of art this is a way to showcase the beautiful art you’ve picked up along your travels. If you collect little trinkets try building some shelves and place them in an open wall, it’ll be a great conversation piece. Do you have an old map laying around? Try pinning small pins into the map to show where you’ve been. Lastly, it’s a simple no brainer but start a scrapbook! If you like to collect postcards or brochures you can place them in a scrapbook to preserve them. Those are just a few ideas to help you display your are items but Pinterest is filled with so many more ideas!
FIND EXCITING PLACES TO VISIT
I like to take a look at Atlas Obscura every so often to view hidden gems, this website has some interesting facts and information about places all around the world. Another website I like to browse through is Culture Trip, if you are planning future adventures this is a great website to look through. Lastly, it’s not a website but it’s an app, CoolCities, is an awesome app that lets you see pictures that other travelers share. I like to look through this app when I want to find things to add to my itinerary.
VISIT A VIRTUAL MUSEUM
While museums and galleries around the world are closed you are still able to enjoy them from home, by visiting numerous different museums across the world.
Google Arts & Culture’s collection of museum tours such as the British Museum in London, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Guggenheim in New York City, Galleria d'Arte Moderna in Milan and many more!
Google Arts & Culture also have virtual walk-throughs of items such as Frida Kahlo’s diary,
Explore locations too, such as Tower Bridge in London, The Taj Mahal in New Delhi India, to the Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro Brazil. It’s just like browsing through Google Maps!
Here are a few museums that offer free virtual tours:
View the impressive collection at the Vatican in the Rome, Italy.
Visit exhibition rooms and galleries at Louvre in Paris, France.
Browse through the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C, USA.
Visit various rooms in the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum in Madrid, Spain.
One of my favorites, The British Museum in London, UK.
That wraps it up for my list of ways to travel around the world while sitting on your couch. Although silly, it’ll definitely keep you busy during these times of self-isolation. If you have any suggestions or know of any tricks that I might’ve skipped comment below!
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