Staycation Ideas

In my last post I asked for feedback on what readers want to see from this blog. I also put the question out to my followers on Instagram (follow me @frametheshot) and the response was a resounding vote for Staycation Ideas. This makes sense as we are all sick and tired of sitting at home living the same day over and over again like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day while our suitcases collect dust. So, I sat down with my notebook and tried to come up with everything I could think of to help appease our wanderlust. I have broken these ideas in to categories so hopefully you can find what works best for you. And if you have any other ideas I haven't thought of, please share them in the comments!

Travel via Taste Buds

A great way to get the experience of traveling is to travel via your taste buds! One of the best parts about visiting a new country or culture is to try the local dishes, so here are some ideas to get that same experience at home!

1. Take an online cooking class. I've had a wonderful time doing several AirBnB Online Experiences. Classes range from around $10-$20 and include a list of ingredients you will need to create the recipe. Your host is a local guide or chef who will walk you through the recipe step by step and you will be able to ask questions and hear stories about their city and culture. Call up a friend and arrange to take the same class at the same time, it feels like you're all cooking together! 
2. Try a new recipe. If a Zoom-like setting doesn't work for you and you prefer to work independently, seek out a recipe for a dish you've always wanted to try, or your favorite meal you had abroad! Even if it doesn't turn out exactly like the original, it will bring you right back to that time and place where you first tried it.
3. Order takeout. But if cooking really isn't your forte, leave it to the professionals and order takeout! Whenever I miss the fantastic red curry I had in Thailand, I order from the little hole-in-the-wall noodle house down the street that makes the best Khao Soi outside of Asia (in my opinion).
4. Try a subscription box. Having a delivery to look forward to helps break up the monotony of quarantine, especially one that's filled with snacks from around the world! Companies like Universal Yums, Try the World and Snack Crate will send a big box every month full of snacks, candy and treats you can't get anywhere else!
5. Find an online seller of your favorite global treat. If you've traveled anywhere in the Caribbean, you've likely seen or tried the delicious Tortuga Rum Cake that comes in that yellow, hexagonal box. It is the most delicious and moist cake you've ever tried and always makes a great souvenir to bring back as gifts or for yourself. But did you know you can get it from Amazon? With a little bit of digging you may be able to find that treat or spice from your favorite destination that you've been craving! Keep in mind that due to the pandemic, international shipping may be unavailable or slower than usual. 

Take a Digital Vacation

The internet. It can be a gift and a curse at times. But thankfully, for the traveler, it is often the best way to experience another world when you can't go yourself.

1. Watch a travel show. There are so many wonderful travel shows hosted by people with dream jobs who get to travel the world eating, drinking and experiencing the best parts of each country they visit (I'm looking at you Jack Maxwell from Booze Traveler). Make a mental note or keep a list of the new places you learn about so you can go see them yourself when the world opens up again!
2. Watch a movie set in your favorite country. Make sure the movie was actually filmed in the country you are longing for and not on a sound stage. Then take in the sweeping landscape shots and local flavor captured by the camera to be transported back, if only for 90 minutes or so.
   
3. Listen to a travel podcast. If you're tired of looking at a screen, give your eyes a break and your ears a treat with a travel podcast. I am personally a fan of Everywhere, Extra Pack of Peanuts and Travel Tales by AFAR Magazine.
4. Take an online class. The world of online learning has become so broad that I bet you can find a class in almost anything you are interested in. Learn a new language or skill or brush up on what you already know. I am currently taking a travel writing course hosted by Ed2Go, and the AirBnB Online Experiences I mentioned earlier include dance classes, music classes, origami classes and so much more!
5. Print your photos or make a photo book. How many beautiful photos have you taken while traveling and never shown to anyone? Now is the best time to turn those digital files in to real, tangible photographs! Use online services like Shutterfly or Snapfish to print your favorites to put in to photo albums or scrapbooks. I am personally a fan of the Shutterfly Photo Book and make an 8x8 hardcover book for all of my big trips. It is a great way to show friends and family the highlights of my trip and rescue my photos from drowning in my camera roll.  
6. Instagram. Instagram may have become a hotbed of influencers and brand ambassadors, but wade through the over-edited and Photoshopped accounts and you can find truly amazing travel content! Thanks to Instagram's geotagging feature, it is a great tool to discover new restaurants and little known sites around the world or close to home. A fun trick I use when searching for a place to stay is to look up the photos tagged at the hotel, resort or other site I am interested in so I can get a feel of how guests are enjoying the experience. 
7. Virtual Reality. Okay, the world of VR is not one I am familiar with, but I know it exists! If you have a VR headset and the right program, you can truly go anywhere! 

The World of Words

The easiest way to learn about a new place and have yourself transported there is to read about it!

1. Read travel writing. This can include travel books and memoirs, travel magazines, travel blogs (you've already got this one down!) and more. There are so many people sharing their stories, helping you to live their journeys vicariously through them until you can create your own again.
2. Guidebooks. Had to put a trip on hold? Make sure you are even more prepared when you re-book by picking up a guidebook for your destination. Always check to make sure businesses and sites listed are still operating before you finally get to go.

If You Feel Comfortable

If, and only if, you feel comfortable enough, follow the guidelines set by the CDC and your local government, and are practicing social distancing, regular hand washing, mask-wearing and basic common sense, here are a few things you can try just a short distance away from home.

1. Check out your favorite local site or one you've been meaning to visit. This could be a park, a landmark, or other outdoor space where you can escape for a few hours. Always practice social distancing, wear a mask, and be respectful of all posted signs, employees and others around you.
2. Go camping. The ultimate in social distancing. Unplug and unwind while you sleep under the stars and forget about your next Zoom call.
3. Rent an AirBnB. I came so close to booking a lakeside AirBnB in Upstate New York for a weekend this summer, but ultimately decided against it. At the end of the day it is about what makes you comfortable, and if you think you can be safe driving a few hours away and getting a change of scenery without putting yourself or others at risk, I say go for it. 

Plan for the Future

With countries announcing they are sealing their borders until 2021, it can feel discouraging to plan for the future. But this will not last forever. Use this down time to research your top destination, plan the dream trip you've always wanted to take and create an itinerary. That way you won't have to hesitate when you are ready to travel again.

Get Creative

Did you hear about the man who built a ski resort for his family in their backyard? Or the girls who planned a whole music festival for their brother? Quarantine has certainly allowed some people's creative juices to flow, so if you've got an idea to bring your vacation to you, run with it!

It's the Little Things

I know some of these suggestions can seem like a lot, especially on days when just getting out of bed is a struggle, so take time to appreciate the little things too.

1. Light a candle. Our sense of smell is powerful enough to transport us to specific times in our lives. I still remember the time I found a hand lotion that smelled exactly like preschool, a mix of wildflowers and sun tan lotion, and every time I used it I was reminded of my childhood. Lighting a candle can have the same effect. If you wish to be somewhere tropical, look for coconut or pineapple scents. If you long for a ski trip, try balsam or evergreen. Let the warmth and scent surround you while you close your eyes and imagine you are somewhere else.
2. Dress like you're on vacation. Did you buy a cute summer dress or bathing suit to wear on your summer vacation? Don't hide it in the back of your closet, put it on! You bought it because you liked it and it made you feel good, so why does it matter where you wear it? Put it on and have a photo shoot outside, the world deserves to see you in it!
3. Look through old photographs and souvenirs. This is why I love my photo books. I keep them right behind my head on my wide headboard so I can travel back to Hawaii or Ecuador any time I want.
4. Do a puzzle. Maybe this is just me, but there is nothing like a good jigsaw puzzle to calm my nerves and anxiety about the future. And the hardest puzzle I have features the white houses perched on the cliff on the island of Santorini. If I really need to make my brain stop buzzing, I know I can pull out that puzzle and escape back to the Greek Islands for a few hours.

I know this was a long one but I hope I gave you at least an idea or two to help curb your longing for travel! The future is uncertain but we must focus on the things in our lives we can control. Stay positive, stay strong, and I hope to see you out in the world when we are free to travel once more.

Safe travels (now more than ever),

Sam