6 Ways to Keep Your Wanderlust Alive at Home
The travel industry has come to a complete halt due the global pandemic. There are travel bans, closed borders and airlines no longer operating at full capacity. Quarantine is now the new normal. Nothing will truly be able to take the place of traveling but while we wait for the world to safely reopen, let’s explore the world from the comfort of our own homes. Armchair Escapism is the new way to get your wanderlust fix even miles away from your dream destination.
1. Watch Travel-Related Documentaries and Movies
Eat Pray Love compelled me to reminisce of my beautiful time in Bali thanks to the queen herself, Julia Roberts. I truly believe every traveler should watch it at least once. The docu-series, Street Food(Netflix) brings viewers to some of the world’s most vibrant cities and dives into the rich culture of street food. Find out what streaming services like Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube have offer by searching “Travel” movies, TV series and documentaries.
2. Listen to Travel Podcasts
I’m a huge fan of podcasts. Indulging in a new travel podcast can bring the vacation to you. Passing Through is my all-time favorite by Nneka Julia, a stellar writer, photographer and host. Her podcast is all about revelations and wisdom collected through travel, conversation, and self-education. Have a listen starting with season 1, I promise you won’t regret it. Here’s a list of additional black travel podcasts for the culture.
3. Explore Attractions Around the World Virtually
Did you know you can virtually tour the Louvre in Paris for free? Visit Washington, DC’s monuments and memorials through 360* video or the beautiful beaches of British Virgin Islands via webcam. How about Mount Kenya or the Great Pyramids of Giza? The New York Times has a robust list of destinations you can visit virtually here.
4. Read a Book Based on Your Dream Destination
Homecoming by Yaa Gyasi, that’s it. That’s the tweet. Seriously, Gyasi’s book is easily in my top ten because she exquisitely ties together the story of a family’s lineage split between Africa and America. It’s mostly based in my homeland, Ghana — my favorite destination. Follow a young shepherd boy on his journey to enlightenment from Spain to Egypt in the magical book, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. If you need help creating your travel bucket list, go ahead and grab Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Travel guidebook complete with 500 best places to see.
5. Fill Your Instagram Feed or Pinterest with Travel Inspo
Pinterest is simply my go-to app for all things travel inspiration. Pin boards are very much like mood boards. It’s the perfect place to find wanderlust photos, vacation outfit ideas and collaborate with friends you’ll be traveling. Get started with my travel inspo board. As a shameless plug, follow Traveling Cocoa Girls on Instagram for travel content. More recommendations on who to follow here.
6. Binge-Watch Travel Vlogs on Youtube
Watching travel vlogs on YouTube is a serious hobby of mine. I love watching Lydia Dinga, an UK-based YouTuber who travels very vibrantly. For me, it’s important to watch Black travelistas like Lydia because I know their experiences abroad will be very similar to mine. Just pop a destination into YouTube and the options of what to watch are endless.