We miss traveling

Summer is usually the prime time to take a trip - students are on summer break, flights are abundant, and the weather's sunny! But this year many of us have had to change our plans and cancel flights we booked well before miss 'Rona showed up. 

Usually my family and I have an annual trip to visit extended family which didn't happen this year. Instead, I stayed home and baked Pineapple buns (菠蘿包, bolo bao), gobbled up bowls of Hong Kong style borscht soup (羅宋湯 luo song tang), and bought frozen dim sum to steam. 

This made me think about how much I associate food with places, and I began to wonder about all the different ways we could have that travel experience without a trip to the airport.

How I took a trip without leaving my home

You may have seen my previous blog post which I wrote at the beginning of sheltering in place about How to Explore the World and Travel Virtually Without Leaving your Home. In it, I give all the best ideas about how to plan a fun day (or two!?) all themed about travel. 

I suggest you take a look to use in addition to this video as a tool for ideas for your own trip away from home (at home!). 

Prepare for your trip

The best thing about this situation is that you can pretty much pick anywhere in the world! Not limited by budget or visa approvals, you can learn about almost anywhere in the world with a bit of research. 

I decided to take an online quiz and got Sweden! As silly as they are, it is nice to take the choice off my hands and pick something completely arbitrary. 

I then made a list of some food I wanted to eat (for my grocery list) and things to do before the big day. 

Take off!

Imagine your perfect day in your location of choice? How can you do something similar at home? 

Want to sit at a cute Parisian cafe with an espresso and croissant? Pickup some from your favorite local bakery and enjoy it on your patio or in the park while listening to a French cafe playlist. 

Want to walk through the neon crowds of Shibuya in Tokyo? Pop with popcorn (brownie points if you top it with some furikake seasoning) and put on Lost in Translation (the famous crossing also makes a cameo in Resident Evil: Afterlife  and The Fast The Furious:Tokyo Drift). 

Craving a new cuisine? Buy a new cookbook (or dust off that one in the corner, you know the one!) and try some new recipes. You can always just order in if it doesn't turn out. 

There's endless possibilities to learn about different cultures, keep an open mind and stay curious! 

Where do you want to travel to? Leave a comment below!

Karin is the co-founder of Arden Cove and co-creator of the Anti-Theft Waterproof Crossbodies - bags created for women who want all the practicality and safety features without compromising in style. Shop ArdenCove.com.