There are all kinds of situations that can make you unable to travel. Perhaps you have a family obligation or a medical emergency, or perhaps there’s a more international reason. What do you do when they happen? Some people are happy to not travel and just stay at home, but others (like me) live for the adventure, and we really don’t like being stuck in the same spot. After all, freedom of movement is a basic human right (as delineated by Eleanor Roosevent in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights).
Read Travel Blogs
The first thing you can do is to read travel blogs and magazines, like this one. Just because you can’t travel right now doesn’t mean you can’t live vicariously through someone else who is traveling or has traveled recently. Just like a good novel, travel blogs and websites help your imagination to travel to a new location, learn new things and inspire you to visit yourself…when you’re no longer unable to travel.
Decide Where You Want to Go Next
Just because you’re unable to travel now doesn’t mean it will always be that way. Start planning your next trip. What destination do you want to see the most? Where have you always been dying to visit? There’s another side to this – there may be future times when you’re unable to travel, which is all the more reason to get in as much traveling when you can. Take your full vacation time from work each year (if you get any) and spend it abroad, not in front of the TV.
Take the Time to Learn a New Language
There’s nothing a local likes more than a foreigner who can speak their language. Once you know the next destination you want to visit, spend some time to learn the basics of their language (or go all out and become fluent, depending on how much time you have). Sure, there are countries all around the world where a lot of the citizens speak English, but others can be quite a challenge. I ran into one problem after another two years ago when I visited Ukraine, even with my basic understanding of the Russian language.
Start/Continue a Workout Routine
Traveling is hard work and can take a toll on the body. Depending on how you travel, you might have a lot of walking, long hours, or even illnesses you’ll want to avoid. Being in good physical condition will help with all of these, and that can be started at home. Make sure you go for a daily walk, run or bike ride (if you can). If you can visit the gym, do that regularly, or do body-weight exercises at home. There’s never a good excuse for not maintaining a healthy body.
Start Saving Now
If you can’t travel now, you can certainly get ready for when you can by building up your savings. By only purchasing the necessities, cutting back on entertainment expenses, and (perhaps an unpopular suggestion but embraced by myself) consume less alcohol and cigarettes, you can have quite a hefty set-aside for your next vacation. Just think – every drink or pack of cigarettes you abstain from could be another meal in an exotic location.
At the time of this writing, traveling almost anywhere is out of the question, but it won’t be for long. Don’t let the scare of current events put you off from your future plans and dreams. As soon as I can travel myself, I’ll be off to collect my van, turn it into a tiny home, and then hit the road on a journey from Scotland to SE Asia with my brother! What will your next journey be?
