The COVID shutdown is a tricky time for those of us with S.W.S. (Severe Wanderlust Syndrome). The inability to leave the Country is hard. Being trapped in the State? Harder. The house with nowhere to go? TORTURE.
Not as torturous as actually contracting or spreading COVID, of course, but difficult nonetheless.
Fortunately, there’s a silver lining. We may be temporarily grounded, but we can still spread our wings. Here are a few ways to do so:
- Plan your next trip. Pick your place, sights, routes, everything. Get lost in the online exploration. Then, when everything does open back up, you’ll be ready to book!
- Pick a country to study as a family. This can be a well-known country like England or Egypt. Or it can be a more obscure locale like Kiribati and Tuvalu. Or select a place based on its wisdom – like Finland, the happiest country on earth, or Okinawa, Japan, one of the healthiest and longest-lived.
- Learn a new language. Did you know you can now get Pimsleur for $15 a month?! You can learn a really practical language like Spanish (second most spoken language in the United States or something simply delightful, like Italian – Che Bello!)
- Watch an awesome travel series. At the moment, I’m in love with The Story of God with Morgan Freeman.
- Get into international cooking. I’d recommend anything from the Blue Zones.
- Get a pen pal.
- Subscribe to a travel subscription box.
- Spend time looking through past trip memorabilia and photos.
- Pick a comfy spot and spend an hour each day going on a travelogue reading adventure.
- Get into international music.
- Learn to dance the tango or flamenco via YouTube.
- Exercise globally with Tai Chi, yoga or the like.
- Take up a new international art form like rose mauling or calligraphy.
- Document your journeys through a journal or scrapbooking.
- And lastly, meditate – because it’s always a good idea.