We’ve all been there…when it seems everyone else in the world is traveling at that moment and your Instagram feed is filled with people smiling and looking gorgeous in exotic places all over the world. It’s seriously the worst, when we’re stuck at a desk or having a bad day and all you want to do is be on a plane headed somewhere far away. So on those days when you’re watching seemingly everyone else traveling and when you have a craving you just can’t quite cure, here’s some ways to help get over the hurdle.
Indulge in Pinterest
Perhaps one of the best websites to peruse when you want to travel, you’ll find so much inspiration and gorgeous photography on Pinterest. I could spend hours scrolling through and when I really need a travel craving cure, this is the place I go.
Watch Travel Movies
Another thing I do a lot when I’m in the mood to travel and don’t have a trip for a while, I dig into some of my favorite movies set in foreign locations. Midnight in Paris, Under the Tuscan Sun, The Holiday, Sex and the City 2 and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel are some of my favorites to take the edge off a travel craving.
Listen to Foreign Music
I’ve always loved foreign music and it’s helped me learn languages better over the years as well, but it’s also a great way to get your mind off a travel craving. Sometime if I’m thinking of Paris, I’ll pull out my French music playlist to at least let me pretend like I’m sitting in a French cafe somewhere working and listening to French music playing on the radio.
Go out to a local favorite Ethnic Restaurant
So much of traveling is about food, so when Nick and I want to feel a little exotic, we’ll head to some of our favorite ethnic restaurants in Portland. We have a Spanish restaurant, a French restaurant, a Persian restaurant and an Italian place, among many others that are pretty legit for the countries they represent. We’ll head out for a fun ethnic date night when the travel bug strikes!
Book a Trip!
And finally, the only real solid cure for a travel craving is booking a trip! Sometimes it’s just necessary, so don’t be afraid to hit that book button after googling airfares for days on end!
Steph Rogers says
The best tip is the last one! I love planning my trips (except when it comes to the part when I have to depart with all my money) and I get super excited about new places when I create a new board on pinterest!
thelifeofastudenttraveller.blogspot.co.uk
Casey says
Totally! It’s the best feeling when you have that planning to do for an upcoming trip!
Elizabeth @Something Saturdays says
http://www.trover.com/ is also a great resource for travel photos and ideas!
And what about checking out something new in your neighborhood or exploring somewhere on the weekend for a quick day trip?
Casey says
That’s a great addition to this list! Day trips are great!!!
Kristin Saling says
I love the music idea! I kind of do that when I’m cooking – if I’m making spicy Spanish cuisine, I put on some Spanish guitar, or if I’m making Italian food, my opera comes out. I’m on an Indian food kick right now but I don’t have enough of a playlist to cook with, so that’s one of my current projects!
Casey says
Totally!! I love doing that too!
Julie @ Artwork by JM says
Great ideas! I have been dying for a vacation but if we do get to go it won’t be for another couple months, so these tips will definitely help me until then
Casey says
Great! 🙂
Megan @ Semi-Charmed Kind of L says
Awesome tips! I would also add: Read a book set somewhere you’d like to visit! If travelogues aren’t your thing, there are plenty of contemporary fiction or historical fiction novels to temper your wanderlust (e.g. beautiful Ruins for the Italian coast or The Paris Wife for Paris, Spain and Austria).
Casey says
That’s a great addition! Getting lost in a book set in a foreign place is always a good idea! 🙂
Becca Jarrett says
Let’s add “Read a travel blog!” Woohoo! 😉
Casey says
Totally!!!!
Jennifer @This Off Script Life says
I love this! Whenever I’m writing about a place I’ve visited or preparing a region-specific cuisine, I like to play the music of that region or country. It really sets the stage and transports me to that place. It’s the perfect cure for the travel blues, especially on cold winter days.
Casey says
Love it… I do that too!
Cynthia says
Great tips! I like to take a day trip: it’s something new, not far away, and it reminds me enough of the actual travel part of travel to put me off until the next trip happens 🙂
Casey says
Yes, totally! A different perspective can often do wonders!