Broadening Your Horizons: How to See the World When You Can’t Travel

Spread your wings above the sky

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic – which doesn’t look like it is letting up anytime soon – people all over the world have either had to cancel their travel plans or put them on hold indefinitely. In the early days of the pandemic, this decision was not particularly difficult to handle; after all, how big of a deal was postponing one summer holiday, given all the chaos in the world?

But with the pandemic well into a third wave, with the potential of a fourth wave looming on the horizon, many of us are beginning to accept the possibility that summer 2021 might have to be a ‘staycation’ once again. Even if we do see a significant roll-out of the long-awaited vaccine, there is no guarantee this will make travelling any easier or more practical, particularly given the uneven rate at which it is being made available and administered across the world.

For those of us who are used to travelling multiple times a year, however, this is a grim reality that is hard to accept. With that said, are there any ways in which we can try and recreate the experience of travelling while still adhering to the public health advice to stay at home?

Recreating the travel experience

Before you can try and figure out some specific ways of recreating the travel experience from the comfort of your own home, we need to identify what exactly it is that makes travelling and being a tourist so enriching. If we can establish what these factors are, we will be better able to choose activities that recreate that feeling.

There are two main aspects to travelling and being a tourist that make it such a fulfilling experience. The first of these is the relaxation factor and the second is the novelty factor.

The first factor seems relatively obvious – one of the main reasons why we enjoy travelling so much is because it gives us a deep sense of relaxation. By fully disconnecting from the daily routine of work and home life, you can fully relax and get some distance from any of these associated stresses. The second factor, novelty, relates to the experience of experiencing a new culture. This includes being immersed in a new language, eating new food, basking in a climate that is different to that back home, and learning about the history and people of a new country.

While both of these might seem like they would be impossible to recreate from your home, you would be surprised at how closely you can evoke similar feelings with a few well-planned activities. With that said, what are some examples of activities you can do, without having to leave your house, that help to recreate the feeling of travelling to a far-flung part of the world?

Find new experiences

Part of what makes being a tourist and travelling so fulfilling is that it gives you the opportunity to step outside your comfort zone and do as the locals do. To mimic this particular experience without travelling abroad, you need to identify a way of replicating this in your own home. For example, if your dream holiday destination is to hit the famous casinos of Monte Carlo, why not try out one of the many top online casinos, which offer live casino games. This will not only give you a feeling of trying something new, but the experience of doing it in real time will also help to create a feeling of immersion.

Virtual museum tours

One of the best parts of being a tourist is getting to visit museums, art galleries and other cultural sights. Although you might be prevented from doing this in person due to the pandemic, this does not mean you can’t experience them virtually! Hundreds of museums and galleries around the world are giving virtual guided tours of popular tourist attractions. To recreate the feeling of being a tourist from the comfort of your own home, why not try one out?

Language immersion

With stay-at-home orders giving you more time on your hands than usual, now is the perfect time to learn that language you have always wanted to! To give yourself the experience of being fully involved in a new country, try listening to music in your chosen language or watching foreign language TV shows. These will help to recreate the feeling of immersion you get, as well as helping you to sharpen your foreign language skills.

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