TRAVEL
Satisfying Your Wanderlust When You Can’t Travel
Coronavirus has impacted every single part of our day to day lives, with Governments around the world restricting travel and domestic activities.
Ultimately, for most of us, overseas travel is off the cards for the time being.
Image courtesy of https://www.cartridgesave.co.uk via Flickr
So what do you do if you’ve got compulsive Wanderlust and you can’t satisfy it by jetting off to a new far-flung part of the world?
A Piece of Advice First
Our first piece of advice would be to ensure you follow your local government guidance which is ever-changing. At the time of writing, there’s no real restriction on movement domestically within the UK, but in Spain, parks and open spaces are out of bounds.
So check your local laws before taking any of the tips in this article on board.
Fall in Love with Your Local Area
Many of us have parks, woodlands, forests and open areas that we have never even been too. And for lots of us, it’s easy to head out to open space without even seeing another person – helping us keep safe social distances in the current climate.
Check out Google Maps and look for open spaces near you and go explore somewhere close to home you’ve never been before.
Start on Next Year’s Travel Plans
I don’t know about you but one of the best ways that I get over the post-holiday blues is by getting planning the next one. And while this year is looking uncertain for now, what’s stopping you planning next year’s travel itinerary.
Scouring Pinterest, Tripadvisor and online travel websites is a great way to start making a wishlist. Something special to look forward to when this crisis is over
Virtual Reality Travel
If you have a virtual reality headset (our favorite is the Oculus Quest but there are lots of alternatives) then you have a world of virtual travel at your fingertips. The Youtube app for Oculus has tonnes of VR content from great organizations like National Geographic that let you immersively experience far-flung corners of the planet.
And if you’re feeling really adventurous, you can always make it a visit to space!
The Home Staycation
For those of us who simply love to travel, isolation and a lot more time at home can be a challenging time for our mental health.
Try and find the time to talk to others, do things that relax you and keep in touch with friends and loved ones in whatever ways you can.
And if Covid-19 isolation is really affecting your mental health, there are tonnes of amazing organizations that can help including https://www.mhanational.org/get-involved/contact-us in the USA and https://www.samaritans.org/ in the UK.
Harper Harrison is a reporter for The Hear UP. Harper got an internship at the NPR and worked as a reporter and producer. harper has also worked as a reporter for the Medium. Harper covers health and science for The Hear UP.