Have you had your travel plans cancelled due to lockdown? Are you left wondering when your next adventure will be? Keep the magic of wanderlust alive with these 5 simple tips.
It's time to get creative! Organise your travel photos, cook something inspired from distant lands or plan your next adventure and make it bucket list worthy!
One of the questions I have asked myself recently is why on earth did I decide to start a travel blog when travel is currently restricted? It is certainly a little off topic right now!
Needless to say, my main reason was to create a digital space for my travel stories and photography whilst trying my hand at blogging. WhatSheSeeks is somewhere I can document my adventures for years to come.
Lockdown has allowed ample time to for me to tap into my creativeflow. To learn something new whilst writing about something that is close to my heart.,Travel
What a great time to embark on self - improvement right? A bite size project I said (one month later into said project…. It is definitely not a bite size project! More like a three - course meal!). Anyway, enough about me and my blogging woes!
With a world of online resources available at the touch of a button and more time on our hands, I have put together 5 tips to keep the spirit of travel alive and occupy you during lockdown. I’ve added some additional ideas under each tip to hopefully spring you into action!
In this post:
Create an online photo diary
Watch your favourite travel films
Plan your next adventure
Learn to cook a dish inspired by your travels
Have some fun with photography
“If We Were Meant to Stay in One Place, We’d Have Roots Instead of Feet”. Rachel Wolcin
Follow WhatSheSeeks on Pinterest for your daily Pinspiration!
1. Create an online photo diary
Have you got a whole heap of travel pics you haven’t done anything with? The world of smartphones has made it easy for us to document our travels in an instant (All of my photos have been taken on my Samsung phone).
There are lots of different ways to store our images online from Cloud sites, Facebook to Instagram, making it easy for us to share our experiences with friends and family. Take this to the next level and create a digital space dedicated to your travel and holiday memories.
Try This!
Start a new Instagram or Facebook page just for your travel pics. Have some fun with it whilst taking a trip down memory lane. Add a description of what you liked and disliked about your trip, ie: best/worse meal, people you met, funny or magical moments
Get creative with your favourite holiday snaps by using design apps such as Canva which allows you to put text over your images to make them visually stunning. The app provides various templates specifically tailored to each social media platform. Sign up is free and templates are provided.
I have been using Pinterest quite a bit recently and created specific boards for the some of the places I have visited. Check out my 'bucket list' board for places I hope to visit! We've gotta dream right?
Check out What She Seeks on Instagram
2. Watch your favourite travel films
There have been several films I have watched over the years that have really touched me and fuelled my wanderlust. To capture the spirit of why we love to explore and travel the globe is something I think we can all tap into and benefit from right now. A favourite film, book or podcast is a great way to keep the magic alive and escape for an hour or so from the daily slog.
A little escapism doesn’t hurt does it?
Try This!
Write a list of your top ten films. Have a duvet day and watch some of them or swap your top travel film choices with a friend and do a film review for fun!
Without reeling off all of my favourite films and
boring you, here are three of my all time favourites
Into the Wild (2007) Tells the true story of Christopher McCandless, a suburban college graduate who abandoned his worldly possessions and hitchhiked to Alaska to live off -grid in the Wilderness. The story is an account from his travel memoirs and the character’s he met along the way that shaped his life.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012) – An enchanting, funny and inspirational film that proves its never to late to travel! The film follows a group of British retirees who travel to India and live at a less than exotic hotel in India. Despite the false advertisement of the newly restored hotel and the residents collective disappointment, they find comfort through shared experiences, love and letting go of the past.
Interesting fact! I met John Madden, the producer of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel last winter at a Christmas Eve concert in the Swiss Alps. I didn’t know who he was then someone told me. He was a lovely, unassuming chap!
Eat Pray Love (2006) is a film based on the memoirs of 34-year-old successful writer, Elizabeth Gilbert who embarked on a year’s travel to nourish her soul. She spent four months in Italy, eating and enjoying life ("Eat"). She spent three months in India, finding her spirituality ("Pray"). She ended the year in Bali, Indonesia, looking for "balance" of the two and fell in love with a Brazilian businessman ("Love").
3. Plan your next adventure
Travelling to distant lands is temporarily on hold but that doesn’t stop us planning our next adventure! Whether it’s a holiday, weekend break or something you have never done before (think backpacking in the Himalayas!), why not put together an itinerary now?
Whether you are a solo traveller, family or a student looking to do a gap year there are plenty of online resources to plan something that an experience that is bucket list worthy
Research the places you want to visit, local eateries, top historical sites, places to stay or find Vlogs from people who have already explored your chosen destination. Plan your budget around a hit list of things you want to achieve from your trip so when you get the chance to do so, it will be a well-oiled machine with no regrets!
Greek Islands Hopping is top on my list to do!
Later this year if /when travel restrictions are lifted, I am planning on doing a trip around some of the Greek Islands. I plan to do it on a budget, so my research has been sourcing ideas and articles around this and getting insider tips, (mainly from other bloggers who have done it already!).
Head over to my Pinterest account under Bucket List or Dream Vacations and see some of the articles I have saved as part of my research.
See also:
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/best-of-the-greek-islands
4. Learn to cook a new dish inspired by your travels
Having worked in hospitality for many years, I have been surrounded by delicious food and dishes inspired by the country I am working in.
I enjoy learning about local cuisine and creating dishes inspired by flavours of the world. I love using herbs and spices that remind me of the places I have visited and especially love the spices used in the Greek dish, Souvlaki. Whilst I was living in Athens last summer, I bought a Souvlaki spice mix and use it in lots of my cooking from stir frys to sprinkled on roast potatoes. Yum!
Top Tip!
Cook up a storm in the kitchen and create a dish from a country you
are hoping to visit or maybe one you have already been to. Challenge yourself with a new cooking style and expand your culinary skills whilst delighting your taste buds. Find an online cookery program or course, follow a podcast or order a book and create a themed supper evening based on your newfound skills!
5. Have some fun with photography
Beautiful images come in all shapes and sizes. They can still have the wow factor even if they aren't sandy beaches, blue skies and shimmering sunsets. Of course these are pleasing to the eye but a tad frustrating if we can’t travel to them right now!
A recent photo i took at a near by nature reserve
Finding the beauty and simplicity in daily life will help you feel grateful for what surrounds you and appreciate the present
I have been heading out for daily walks and bike rides and took some great local shots (like the one above) which focus on nature and flowers in bloom. You can view more of my recent shots over on WhatSheSeeks Instagram
Try This!
Take photos that capture local life and landscapes such as historical buildings or unique architecture. Try your hand at portrait photography with a family member and play around with the wealth of crazy filters now available on smart phones and social media platforms.
I hope my 5 tips will get your creative juices flowing to keep your wanderlust at bay! If you are interested in discussing any of the above, feel free to contact me or leave a comment below. If there is something I can do to keep the magic of travel alive I will do it!
Lisa.x
READ NEXT:
The Birth Of What She Seeks - Journey Into The Blogosphere
and how I got here!
Portugal - Sunsets & Reflections. My Thought's on Life's Big Questions
Looking for more travel inspiration?
Check out my current favourite bloggers:
The Blonde Abroad: https://theblondeabroad.com/
Hand Luggage Only: https://handluggageonly.co.uk/
Jess Wandering: https://jesswandering.com/
