Go on mini adventures to ease yourself back into travelling

Travel-wise we’re just coming out of this Covid-bubble and everything feels a bit overwhelming, am I right? Even for a pretty seasoned traveller like myself, it’s strange to jump back into the travelling game like the coronavirus never happened.

But it makes sense. We’ve been holed up in our safe apartments and houses and we’ve hardly ventured out into unknown territory or even the restaurant at the corner for over a year. We hung out with the same few people and chatted to most of our friends and family on zoom or skype.

We couldn’t go to Mexico for my birthday, so we gathered friends and brought Mexico into our backyard

Travelling abroad – it’s been a minute

It’s been a minute since we arrived at an airport in a new city and tried to order food in a foreign language. As satisfying as it is to know that this will happen again soon, I have to say, it also scares me a bit and it definitely overwhelms me.

My husband and I were talking about taking a trip somewhere this fall. He suggested Kiev, a place we both haven’t been to before. I was like, “Absolutely not!” I was surprised by my strong reaction. Especially, as I do want to visit the place.

I suggested Paris or Rome and at first, I had no idea why. Or maybe jump in the van and just drive a few hours from here. While I was in the shower the next day, I realised that I wanted my first proper post-Covid-19 trip to be somewhere familiar, somewhere I’ve been before, even if it was a long time ago.

My comfort zone shrunk

In my mind, we couldn’t go somewhere completely foreign and exotic or do anything that required too much daredevilry, nothing that was too much out of my comfort zone, which shrunk quite a bit since the beginning of 2020. Expanding it again would take some time, and to be honest, I’m not in a hurry.

During this age of travel restrictions, I had to get creative to discover new places and find inspiration. I found that mini adventures helped me see that there are still plenty of new things to be experienced, even close to home.

This slightly guarded approach towards travelling could also be the result of a more organic, home- and nature-oriented mindset that was born during Covid times. In any case, I hopped on the following micro experiences when I felt like I wanted to see or do something that didn’t involve the usual sweatpants on the couch combo.

With a few props and some Mexican food and music, it felt like a proper holiday

Now that travel restrictions are slowly being lifted, I’m returning to these ideas to ease myself back into the unknown, the new, and the exciting.

• Take an unknown route: For this mini adventure, you could walk or bike a new route when you’re running your errands. It might surprise you how much more attention you’re paying when you’re in an unfamiliar place. Alternatively, you could jump on a bus or a train and set a timer when you have to get off (thanks for this idea, Flow magazine) or just randomly pick a stop you don’t know. Go and stroll around like a tourist, take in your new surroundings, take pictures and if you come across a café you like, sit down, and enjoy a beverage as you would do on a holiday.

• Set up a picnic outside: You could do this at a park in your hometown, the beach (if you’re lucky enough to live by the ocean), or just on your terrace or balcony. Get your friends together or invite your significant other, put down a blanket with a variety of your favourite snacks, some wine, or fresh juice to sip on, and enjoy each other’s company. Bring a board game or a stack of cards and make an afternoon of it.

• Visit a new shop, museum, café: If you don’t live in a village as we do, there’s a chance that a new shop, museum, or café pop up. Jump on that opportunity to experience something new in your old surroundings.

• Cook an exotic dish: How nice is it to visit a restaurant during your holiday and taste the local cuisine? I know that cooking yourself is not the same, but it could be a nice new experience to pick and cook a dish from a country you’re longing to visit. Exotic flavours and unfamiliar tastes might transport you on a micro holiday away from your day-to-day. Even better if you can share it with someone.

• Watch a foreign movie: This is similar to the idea above, and it always does the trick for me. If I long for a trip away but I can’t go anywhere at this particular moment, I look for a foreign movie to watch (with subtitles). There are also movies I can watch again and again in English because they have such a strong sense of place like Chocolat, Vicky Christina Barcelona, The Talented Mr. Ripley, or The Beach. Enjoy your mini adventures!