How to Satisfy Wanderlust at Home Without Actually Traveling

Wanderlust, originally a German word used to describe the enjoyment of roaming around, now just means a strong desire to travel and explore the world. This travel bug hit me so hard previously that I actually moved to Europe and lived there for four years! If your Spring Break plans got canceled like mine did because of the coronavirus pandemic, you may be a victim of unsatisfied wanderlust. Maybe you’ve spent hours upon hours scrolling through beautiful photographs on the internet (maybe even on my blog), but you’re stuck at home practicing social distancing and you’re sad because all of the global travel bans mean you can’t travel anytime soon.

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I actually have a good job. But some of you may feel trapped in yours, and the only escape you experience is when you are dreaming about your next trip. You may be sitting at your desk right now or at your home office just itching to leave your city. When you have a great vacation coming up the excitement makes it hard to keep your mind on anything else. And when your vacation is over you sometimes go through feelings of withdrawal. Maybe you are stuck in the same old routines, feeling exhausted and uninspired. You work all the time, and the most exciting thing about your weekends is sleeping in and catching up on laundry. None of us could have predicted our current stay-at-home situation caused by the coronavirus. Maybe it’s time to shake things up a little bit. With travel plans on hold it may just be time for a staycation.

Here are 10 ways to satisfy wanderlust and relieve travel withdrawal while at home:

1. Get Outside

Not an outdoorsy person? Well, now may the perfect time to become one. The weather in my city has been very rainy lately, but spring usually means warmer weather. So if weather permits in your area go ahead and get outdoors and get active. Even moderate exercise raises the endorphin levels in your brain and lifts your mood.

There is a lot you can do outdoors without getting too close to people and putting yourself at risk. My husband and I have enjoyed walking our dogs around a path at our local park. Besides walking your dog you can take a hike, go on a picnic, go to the lake, run, ride your bike, do yard work, maybe even take a nap in a hammock. Being outdoors and surrounding yourself with nature can be very therapeutic.

2. Explore a New Neighborhood

This one you can do without ever leaving your car. Drive down a new road you’ve never been on before. Maybe check out a new housing development you’ve been curious about. Look at the houses and yards and get ideas for your own. If you are still going to an office everyday try taking the long, scenic way home after work one day. It’s the little things sometimes that can cheer us up in surprising ways. When you get to a particularly beautiful spot, park your car, get out, and just soak it in. Listen to the sounds. Take a picture. Be a person who takes notice of your surroundings.

3. Sit and Watch the Sunset

So many times in the evenings I find myself rushing around with dinner, feeding the dogs, working, and other tasks and may occasionally glance out the window and notice a beautiful pink hue in the sky. But I am always too busy to go out and enjoy it and often am not near a good viewing point to really see it well. While you are at home more now, take the time to spend an hour or so just sitting outside, watching the sky change colors.

There’s underrated beauty in this golden hour no matter what’s going on in your life. Maybe you live near a hill or mountain where you can hike up and see an awesome view. But the cool thing about the sunset is that you can see it anywhere in the world, so you are not missing out on this simple luxury by staying at home. It doesn’t matter if you are alone or with someone you love, this often missed wonder is free of charge.

4. Challenge Yourself To Try or Learn Something New

One of the reasons that travel can be so life changing is that it gets you out of your comfort zone, and that may be mostly because you are trying new things. But who says you have to travel to try new things? You can do this at home. There are so many free tutorials or lessons on YouTube and elsewhere online. You can learn anything from how to use a new computer program to photography, painting, learning a new language or how to play a musical instrument. If you have kids at home now check out my current list of 30 free educational websites here.

5. Make a Travel Music Playlist

Italy is one of my favorite countries. I could just eat and drink my way through the entire country. Well, maybe not now. It is on the “Essential Travel Only” list and has a high rate of coronaviris cases. I like Italy so much that once when I was single I gave myself an Italian themed birthday party. I strung little white lights all around my apartment, had special table cloths with little Chianti bottle candles, and played Andrea Bocelli Italian opera music.

Many times when we travel we hear unfamiliar music that is popular in the culture of our vacation destination. Maybe singing and dancing is an integral part of the culture as I saw when in Kenya. Have you ever fallen in love with a country and the music that is an integral part of everyday life there? If you are feeling nostalgic about your trip, you can relive the sounds and remember the good times you had there. And if you’re home alone, sing along as loudly as you can. Your dog won’t care!

6. Try Cooking an International Dish

Trying different food is a big part of travelling for many of us. So since we are not currently travelling or even going to restaurants this is the perfect time to try new international recipes at home. You can check videos and blogs for things you’d like to try and then just go for it! It doesn’t have to be fancy – Taco Tuesday anyone? Who says you have to leave the country to experience the flavors of the world? If you are a kindred spirit and love all things Italian try my easy recipe for homemade spaghetti meat sauce.

7. Take a Virtual Tour

There are some awesome virtual tours on the internet that you can enjoy from home. Many museums such as the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History have 360 degree tours that make it feel like you are actually there. You can “walk” through tropical waters to the icy tundra in this floor-by-floor tour of the famous, Baltimore-based National Aquarium. Now you can even experience Walt Disney World from your living room virtually – even while it is closed!

8. Shop Online for Travel Needs

One of my favorite things to do when I travel to a new place is to check out all the cute little gift shops, book stores, and coffee shops in the town. Well why can’t we do that online? Pick a place you’d love to visit and search online for suggested shops there. Then check out their website and browse. Maybe order a T-shirt or souvenir from their online store.

And what about travel accessories you might need for your next trip? Whether it is a new suitcase, backpack, shoulder bag, passport holder, money holder, travel wallet, or luggage tag, I get so excited about getting new things to take on my trip. What did you wish you had with you on your last trip? Now may be the time to stock up on your travel needs by ordering them online.

9. Organize Your Photos From Past Trips

Looking through pictures and videos of past trips and adventures is a great way to satisfy your wanderlust. It will motivate you to keep saving for your next trip, and who doesn’t love remembering fun times had on vacation? Do you have boxes of old travel photos collecting dust on a top shelf in your closet or lots of unorganized files taking up space on your hard drive? Why not use this time to organize them? You can arrange them into beautiful albums or create a scrapbook. One of my favorite Christmas presents this year was a beautiful wall calendar filled with pictures from my step daughter and her husband’s trip to New Zealand. There are lots of online companies that will turn your photos into a memorable calendar or coffee table book.

And if you are really motivated, learn how to start your own money making travel blog. It may be one of the best decisions you ever make! Just want to get your feet wet? You can start with this free course Start a Blogging Business 5-Day Crash Course. Already have a blog? Maybe you already have a blog set up and are trying to get more traffic so that you can get advertisers to work with you and make money. Well, I’m going to let you in on a secret. I have discovered a secret weapon for blogging that has transformed my business, and it can for yours too. It is called SEMRush. This awesome tool shows you how to use key words to optimize your site for greater SEO. Try it out, and if you decide you don’t need to focus on SEO you can always cancel. There is no long term commitment. I dare you to try SEMRush for one month and see what a difference it can make for your blog or website!

10. Research and Plan Your Next Trip

So, you’ve started saving money for travel and you have a destination (or destinations) in mind. Now it’s time to start planning your next adventure. Making actual travel plans instead of just dreaming of a vacation will definitely help satisfy wanderlust. This stay-at-home situation will not last forever. We will travel again. And when we do, you will want to be ready. Everyone may all be trying to make travel plans at the same time, so planning now can get you ahead of the game. Researching places to stay, attractions, and restaurants can be really fun. Check out my Pinterest board for ideas. Maybe you can create your own “bucket list” board

Think through all the logistics. How will you get there and how will you get around once you are there? What is your budget? Where will you stay? What attractions will you visit? Finding all these answers can take a lot of time, but as you see the plan finally come together you will get super excited. There are tons of resources online to help you plan your dream trip, so use this time at home now to do some of the background work.

Putting it All Together

Your wanderlust may not ever be completely cured, because great traveling experiences usually only make you want to travel more, but I hope some of these ideas will make the waiting easier. I hope you will take a few moments out of your normal routine to gain a new perspective on your surroundings. That’s what this stay-safe-at-home mandate is allowing all of us to do. Our world is filled with wonder, and even though you can’t leave your home right now to travel to a new destination, with a little creativity you can find ways to experience new things right in your own backyard.

So, tell me, what do you do when you want to travel but can’t? Do you have any other ideas? Let me know in the comments below!