It has been a dark, depressing year. The world transformed in many ways when COVID came into our lives and the very essence of travel and tourism died changed. The second wave of COVID is about to has hit and any hopes of travel we may have had seem to be fading into mere dreams. But alas, fear not! Reading this blog post will guide you on how to travel during a global pandemic, and still be safe!
So read it!
Here are some ways you can still be a *traveller* while navigating a global pandemic.
Become a city trotter
Wandering around concrete jungles may not be the most appealing activity for wanderlust travelers; but wait!
The great thing about city trotting is that there is so much to see! When we usually pass through our city, we don’t really take the time to really look around and see what there is to offer. Going out to explore your city with the actual intention of travelling gives you a new, fresh outlook.
You begin to notice things you wouldn’t usually notice, like a random red bench that adds color to the concrete city background, or explore a random path or way that you usually wouldn’t have time to, and it leads to some epic hidden place.
This is especially true for bigger cities, which used to see a lot of global tourists before the pandemic. Challenge yourself and see how many new places you can find in your city that you didn’t know about before!
Explore spontaneously
Have you ever wanted to be super spontaneous and have an unplanned adventure, but didn’t want to take the risk that comes with spontaneity?
Exploring local areas allows you to be safely spontaneous while also giving that kick of wandering into the unknown. You’re able to wander far off enough to explore new things and have have cool experiences, while also having the comforting reassurance that home is nearby, if something goes wrong.
The new experiences are ready for you to explore, and the safety of familiarity is close to you as well, if you end up needing it. It’s also worth mentioning that the best trips usually end up being the spontaneous ones because you never know what to expect.
Spontaneous and crazy trips don’t always have to happen overseas, you can adventure out into your own area and try new things!
Find nearby tourist destinations and go be a tourist
Ever heard of “tourist in my own city”? We use it for Instagram captions, so why not use it as an actual travel style during the pandemic? Go be a tourist in your own city!
One great way to do this is to approach it as if it is your first time visiting the city. Google about different places to visit, ask friends about hidden gems they might know about, maybe even stay at a hostel for the experience of meeting other travellers!
You’ll be surprised at how many cool places you discover that you didn’t know about before. Or maybe you did but never really explored or experienced it. Either way, try looking at your local city as a tourist would. And then go do touristy things. You can even caption your pictures with ‘tourist in my own city.’ No judgement.
Roadtrip!
Do I even need to write anything for this one?
Car trips with your favorite music blasting, bags of snacks loaded in the back, and a bunch of your friends are all you need for a lit trip.
Road trips don’t necessarily have to be miles and miles away. There are so many beautiful places to go to, even just an hour away from home. Don’t measure your experiences by the distance you travel, but rather, by all the wonderful experiences you have.
You don’t have to go far to have fun. You just have to go.
(Damn, that was deep.)
Go camping
If you’re the kind of person who gets scared of insects and spiders, and likes to travel in comfort, go ahead and skip this section. Or look up glamping. That’s pretty cool too.
For everyone else, go camping!!!
Camping is a really great way to escape that routine life which tires and stresses us out, and it’s a way to immerse yourself in a more natural and calming place, and reconnect with nature and peace and all that Zen stuff.
The great thing about camping, is that it is so versatile. There are so many options.
You can go on a day off or for a whole week. You can sleep in a tent in the woods, or rent out a yurt or pitch a tent on an actual campground with facilities. It’s up to you to choose what kind of camping you want to do, but at the end of the day, if you’re just seeking some peace and stillness, camping is the way to go.
Did I mention bonfires?
So basically…
It definitely sucks that we can’t explore other countries, and different cultures, but it’s also important to learn and appreciate what we already have! Learning to travel during a global pandemic is challenging, but very rewarding.
The amount of cool new places I’ve discovered locally, or beautiful pictures I’ve taken literally in my backyard, have taught me that we don’t have to travel for days and spend thousands of dollars and go overseas to explore new places and discover new things.
This narrative of global travel has become so romanticized, that we forget how beautiful our own surroundings are.
The grass may seem greener on the other side, but I promise your grass is really green too, maybe just a different shade or something.
Have you found any cool new places in your area during the pandemic? Let me know!
Happy exploring!
Travelling Afghan 