I had about five trips planned this year, not including New York. We already cancelled three of them and, Disney in June is looking pretty bad. I hate being quarantined. Funny, for as much as I love my house and wished I could spend more time here; I must have had a genie up my arse because now it is all I see! What started off as self-quarantine, has turned into what will be months of mandated quarantine….
What makes matters worse is, this gives me more time to stare at the walls. So how as a traveler, am I coping with not being able to leave my front door? I remember why I travel and find ways to compensate. Below are the things a traveler can do while in quarantine…
Use Technology to Escape Your House
There are many forms of technology that “almost” trick you into believing that you are away. The Internet, Television, and Virtual Reality glasses can all help you vicariously live through someone else’s adventures. Many people tell me that they are scared to start traveling again after this is over. Getting familiar with why you travel in the first place can go a long way into easing those fears.
The Internet
The Internet has a wealth of travel blogs out there, but no one does it better than Maninflight.com! I mean this guy can write. To kill time and get you in the mood to travel why not read them all! Some of my favorite places are below:
and finally,…
After you have read and reread all of my articles, I recommend Nomadic Matt he doesn’t know it (or me), but he helped shape my love for travel. Matt has a lot of good stories and travel advice.
Videos/TV
I no longer consider YouTube and Netflix the internet, given the fact that I watch them primarily on my television. As you would expect, I watch a ton of travel shows, it helps me get my mind straight after being in the (home) office for 8-hour days. Below are some the best:
YouTube
Strictly Dumpling: Mike Chen, this guy can eat like a pregnant hippo that has been fasting for a month. The amount of food he puts away, without him gaining a ton of weight, is nothing short of impressive. I discovered him when we were traveling to Japan, but I have since taken his recommendations for a host of other places. His show has gotten me through many long water fasts.
Disney Food Blog : Come hell or high water I am going to Disney by the end of this year Corona or not. If I have to hold Mickey hostage, my wife is getting her birthday present! (Really, just a selfie and then I imagine that I will need bail money…love you princess!!) I really enjoy the information and (especially) the food in these videos. She can almost trick me into believing that amusement park food is good!
Amazon
There are a number of travel shows that can be picked up for cheap or (or even free with Prime) on Amazon. I will just mention a few.
The Layover: This might be Anthony Bourdain’s lesser known show of the three (Parts Unknown and No Reservations are the other two), but I have always liked this one the best. It is a lot less preachy than Parts Unknown, which became almost depressing in the later seasons. Any of the three will help get you through your “sentence”. Watch it Here
F*ck That’s Delicious: If you are in the mood to be a total travel Cretan, this show will do. Action Bronson and his crew make a highly entertaining show about eating and getting wasted in exotic places…
Booze Traveler: I think this show is underrated, but I always loved it. As the name implies the host Jack Maxwell focus is more on drinking than eating, he really does a great job breaking down the liquor of some cultures.
Lastly, I have to mention Somebody Feed Phil on Netflix. It is probably the only travel show that I watch on the channel, but it is incredibly informative and fun. In the past I have made a game out of trying to get to as many places he has, most of the time the choices are great, sometimes not so much. If you don’t have Netflix, you can buy the episodes on Amazon also, but it is probably cheaper to just purchase Netflix.
Virtual Reality
I do need to mention VR, because it too has gotten me through some tough traveling dry spells. I own the Oculus Go and I love it. If you step away from shooting zombies there are some really good travel apps:
Wander: My favorite App is wander, this is set up kind of like google maps, but it allows you to explore the streets of almost any place in the world. I can spend hours just walking the streets of various cities. It isn’t in real time (so everyone is standing still) nonetheless it is a lot of fun.
YouTube: There are a lot of travel apps on YouTube for Virtual Reality, too many to list here. If you spend the $289 on a new headset (or $400 on the Oculus Rift) give it a try. BUY IT HERE
Make Future Travel Plans
The unfortunate events of the last couple of months has had one positive side effect, the price of travel has never been lower. You don’t want to buy tickets to New York for next weekend but planning long term travel is a great idea…
Unfortunately, many people have lost their jobs during this time…but still the majority of America remains employed. Between the great deals and the stockpile of paid time off you likely have, now is the time to plan a long trip to Europe, Asia or some other destination you may never get to go to during normal times.
Travel Tip: Some of you may worry this quarantine may happen again sometime soon. My advice is to buy your tickets now for the fall (hoping a second wave doesn’t hit). Airlines have been more than generous with change fees and cancellations. Although most of the time they give you a credit for future use as opposed to a refund.
Going to Hard Hit Areas
I am not shying away from researching hard hit areas, especially Italy. Palermo, Sicily is one of my favorite places on earth, I can’t / won’t let fear keep me from going back.
Also, these places offer especially good deals, due to the Apocalypse. By going to Sicily, I get a great deal and I help support the people of a region that I love…
Use the Extra Time to Your Advantage
Although I’m going a bit stir crazy, it is nice to have plenty of time to work on the things I enjoy.. It is funny, once the minutia of everyday tasks is stripped away, how much time we have. Without driving to the office or even being able to leave the house there is a lot I can accomplish. So, since you can’t travel there are a few things you can do to pass the time. The below are the things I am attempting:
A. Learn a Language: I have been using Babbel to learn some basic Italian. Since there is a good chance, we will be going to Sicily again in the fall, I want to get some basics down. Of course, they speak a different dialect of Italian in Sicily, but I am sure it will be close enough.
B. Get My Finances in Order: More Money equals more ability to travel…and since I am not currently traveling, I can sock that away for a better trip. If this virus taught me anything it is that your financial world can change on a dime. I might as well prepare myself as much as possible.
C. Get into Traveling Shape: I am going to act now like I am traveling in a month, this way it is a bit easier when the dates actually come. It is no secret I like to eat when I travel, but right now I am carrying the quarantine-15(lbs.). Might be time to whip out those P90X tapes.
D. Write: If you ever wanted to start a blog of your own, about travel or otherwise, now might be the time. I am personally writing more during this stint than ever, if it wasn’t for the nontravel, I would prefer this situation.
E. Explore Parks, Golf Courses and Hiking Trails in Your area: Most of these are open during the Apocalypse. How many times has there been a trail or park right down the road from you that you never go see. We tend to explore more when traveling than at home, this is your chance to see your town.
Conclusion
Times are tough, but rather than let this solitude get you down, embrace the moment! There are plenty of ways to enjoy quarantine (that don’t involve two pints of ice cream, a gallon of vodka, and Postmates…where the drivers now know you by name)! This will pass for most of us, and God willing, we will be up and flying again in no time…
