Thanks to the global COVID-19 pandemic shutting down countries across the world, many people who were going to travel and explore our beautiful planet this year have had to put their plans on hold or cancel them all together and instead look closer to home for entertainment.
While it can be easy to think that home is boring and there is nothing to do, I’m here to tell you that you can make your isolation a much more entertaining experience than you think! Here are four things you can do while you wait for the travel restrictions to be lifted.
Learn a New Skill
Learning new skills is a great way to keep your mind occupied while you’re at home. If you are an avid traveler, then it is also a perfect chance for you to take some of the memorabilia and photos you’ve collected during your travels and put them together into a collection that you can be proud to share. Learn how to scrapbook or do collages to show off some of the amazing locations you’ve been to, or why not try your hand at some of the crafts you’ve seen on your journeys?
For example, you could learn how to weave like the indigenous people of Bolivia or learn how to bake traditional dishes from various places you’ve visited. There are a host of YouTube channels that teach all these skills and more, so learning to do something new literally has never been easier.
Treat Yourself
If you have been putting away money each week so that you have plenty of spending money for your summer vacation, why not use it to treat yourself instead? Is there something you have had your eye on for a while, or something you need that you haven’t been able to afford? Now might be the time to treat yourself to that big purchase.
For example, is your mattress old and outdated, or even too small for your needs, why not purchase a new king size bed and a mattress to go with it? You can stretch out on it, binge watch your favorite series, and you could even use it to work from home on your laptop all snuggled up!
Have a Picnic Indoors
When you think of a picnic, you generally think of a secluded spot in a park where you can sit on the grass and eat your lunch in the company of someone you care about. However, as many rainy days have shown us in the past, hosting an indoor picnic can be just as fun as a traditional outdoor one. Set up your favorite picnic blanket on a floor and you have the perfect setting for your indoor picnic.
Don’t forget to prepare all your favorite picnic snacks and treats to make it as authentic as possible. If you happen to be home on your own, why not include your loved ones in the picnic by leaving a spot open on your blanket for your laptop so you can Skype them into your day?
Host an Online Party
If a picnic isn’t really your style, you could up the ante by hosting a full-on online party through Skype so you can get some much-needed human interaction while you’re at home. Want to share some music with your party-mates across the world? Why not set up a playlist on Soundcloud so you can all listen along and share the party vibes?
Another option would be to find a recorded live stream of your favorite show or performance on YouTube or other platforms, like a recording of Broadway’s Hamilton or John Legend’s March 17th Instagram performance, and schedule everyone to start watching at the same time so you can feel like you’re all in it together.
Plan Your Next Trip
If all these activities are still not enough to keep your wanderlust at bay, why not take the time you have now to plan your next trip to perfection? Research your destination, and maybe find some places off the beaten track that you wouldn’t normally consider because you didn’t have the time to plan a trip accordingly the last time you visited the area. You also don’t need to make any bookings or purchases, but you can get an idea of the budget you will need so you can start planning your finances for the trip.
Whatever you choose to do with your time, remember that being positive and proactive are great ways to keep yourself sane during trying times and go into all your activities with a positive mindset.
