During the pandemic, one of the things people are missing most is the ability to travel freely. While we’re not sure when it will be safe to go on big trips again, here are some ways you can cure the travel bug without catching the COVID bug!

Virtual Tours

Fish swimming around the coral reef
Fish swimming around the coral reef

It’s hard to compete with the beauty and wonder of experiencing a new place firsthand, but virtual reality has made immense progress on making their virtual experience even more life-like than ever before. Check out some of these virtual tours of amazing places around the world.

Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park – Hawaii, USA

Hawaii is one of the most unique places in the United States and draws many tourists each year. While the most visited islands in Hawaii are Oahu and Maui, this virtual tour lets you explore a National Park on the Island of Hawai’i, a park of live volcanoes and lava rock that you may not normally adventure to on your typical Hawaii trip. Follow along with audio from a native Hawaiian guide and see the stunning imagery.

360º Tour of the International Space Station

You’re stuck at home or near home, but why not travel somewhere far, far away? Get to a place where you’re likely to never have the chance to experience, the International Space Station! See the otherworldly setting where astronauts spend their time after they’re launched into space; you won’t regret it!

The Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef has faced trauma in recent years, suffering from coral bleaching and rising ocean temperatures. So while it may be happy to have a break from all the tourists, the tourists are missing it. In an interactive guide with David Attenborough, viewers can tour the reef in all its glory, with footage that displays the beauty of the ocean through your computer screen.

Instagram

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Would ya look at that? It’s an Instagram rest area among the watermelon. Stay as long as you’d like. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, allow yourself to be transported, if only for a moment. ? ✧ One of the lessons that I am continually learning is that I don’t have to “do” all the time. I have to remind myself often that the rest–– the doing nothing, the long quiet afternoon, the aimless walk–– these are instrumental to understanding myself, and therefore to fulfilling my purpose here on Earth. For a long time I thought I needed permission to experience restfulness. There wasn’t enough time for a pause. Now I know nothing more crucial than that. ? ✧ This set is a study for a record jacket I am doing for @vinylmoonco. People ask about the process. I sketch it out, then I work with the materials. In this case, I’d cut the watermelon, stare at the watermelon, move the watermelon… and repeat… until I arrive at something I like. ✧ #ErinsGreatIndoors #OurGreatIndoors

A post shared by Erin Sullivan (@erinoutdoors) on

Sometimes just looking at pictures is enough to quench your thirst for travel… for that day, anyway. One Instagram account that has gained popularity in this time is @erinoutdoors. Erin Sullivan is a travel photographer and storyteller who has been grounded during the pandemic. Rather than taking a break from work, she decided to create her work. She takes household objects, plants, food, and many other items right in her own home, puts tiny figurines in them, and works some magic with her camera. As you can see, the results are stunning and look as though they are shot in actual locations abroad. This is one way that creativity was sparked during quarantine!

Cuisine

A plate of sashimi and a bowl of ramen on a table
A plate of sashimi and a bowl of ramen on a table

Some of the best parts of trips are the meals we eat while we’re there. Eating in a different place often brings new cultural experiences, new friends, and, of course, new flavors. While the cultural experiences and new people may be hard to come by from home, the new flavors don’t need to be! One way that you can switch up your home routine is to try new recipes from other parts of the world! Try to recreate an old recipe that you loved tasting while abroad, or find a new one from a part of the world you haven’t been to yet!

Plan a Trip

Two women sitting on top of a car
Two women sitting on top of a car

Sometimes the best way to get through hard times is to look past them, and in this season where we cannot travel, we might as well plan an awesome trip for when we can again! Start with a region of the world you’ve always wanted to visit, then get specific with the country and city. Plan a packing list, itinerary, hotels, restaurants, and excursions. Check if you’ll need special visas or permits, and save yourself so much time planning when the time comes for you to take the trip! On another note, plan a spontaneous vacation! Spin a globe and see where your finger lands, or ask a friend the first country that comes to mind! Then spend some time on the internet exploring and seeing what you would be interested in doing in that area, and plan away! You might have just stumbled upon your new favorite place!

Road Trips

Person pointing to a map while in the passenger seat of a car
Person pointing to a map while in the passenger seat of a car

Of course, the best cure for the travel bug is just that — travel. Road trips have had a huge surge in popularity this summer, especially in the continental United States. Whether it’s a trip in the family car, or you decide to rent/buy an RV or camper, taking to the road has proven to be a safe and fun way to see new sights in 2020.

What are you doing to travel this summer? Let us know in the comments!

This article originally published on GREY Journal.

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