Wanderlust is a serious condition affecting thousands of people around the world. Ever find yourself daydreaming of adventure or longing for a one-way flight to anywhere? For anyone bitten by the travel bug, it’s likely the best and worst thing that’s ever happened to you. Once you’ve caught it, there’s no stopping it.
If you’re not traveling, you’re thinking about it.
Then there are those of us going through post travel depression or, PTD, as I like to call it, which sets in a few days after returning home. Yes, this is a very real thing.
After five months of jet-setting around Europe, I felt homesick for the first time. I actually cried tears of happiness on my flight home.
Just when I settled back into my normal routine at home and thought I could comfortably get used to everything and take a break from travel, wanderlust set in. I’m sure many of you can relate.
While I am totally comfortable staying home in So Cal for a while, I start to miss my sense of adventure and my spontaneity. It’s like being stuck in wanderlust limbo.
I wanna stay, but I also wanna explore! Instead of packing my bags for another trip abroad, I started thinking about ways to spice up my “home” life and make a point to see and do more in my own backyard.
Whether your 9-5 has got you down, you’re bored with your monotonous routine, or you’re also suffering from PTD, wanderlust can easily be contained without having to venture too far.
Here are 10 ways to cure wanderlust without leaving home!
Book a Night in a Fancy Hotel
You know that night of luxury you couldn’t exactly afford while backpacking in Europe? Well, don’t give up on the dream! Why not treat yourself to a night in a nice hotel in your home city? Go solo and take that much needed “me” time while soaking in a bubble bath with a bottle of champagne.
You deserve to treat yourself to a little DIY wanderlust!
Take the Scenic Drive to Work
Don’t get stuck in a rut! That’s what we love about traveling abroad – there is no such thing as boring routine. Incorporate that mindset back home and look for an adventure everywhere! Instead of taking the highway or always driving the quickest route everywhere you go, put together a new music playlist and take the scenic route.
A little car karaoke could be just what the doctor ordered!
Wake up Early to Watch the Sunrise
Why is it that we can be so excited heading to a 6 am flight, yet getting up early at home is such a pain? Don’t get bogged down in that mundane lifestyle you fear at home. Wake up early, pour yourself a cup of coffee and appreciate a slow start to your morning as you watch a beautiful sunrise.
It may just keep the magic alive!
Try a New Cafe or Restaurant in Town
One of the easiest ways to discover a new destination is through food. So, why not have those experiences when you’re home? Make a list of everywhere you want to eat, then make a plan to go somewhere new each week.
You can even look into cooking classes or ask a local international restaurant if you can come cook with the chef in the kitchen one day. Never hurts to ask!
Go Fly a Kite
Well, not quite so literally. My point is to get outside! The mountains. The beach. A new park. The forest. Anywhere. Whatever is around you, go outside and see and experience it.
Go breath the fresh air and take that wanderlust of yours on a new adventure in the great outdoors.
Be a Tourist in Your Own Backyard
That’s right! Go be a tourist and see everything cool in your home city. Try the local foods and see the iconic sights.
Remember, every city is somebody’s hometown, even popular tourist destinations. I put “be a tourist in LA” on my travel bucket list a year and a half ago. 20+ “countries traveled” later and I’ve hardly been a tourist in my own backyard.
I think it’s time I followed my own advice!
Visit a Local Museum
I’m a total museum fanatic. I find them completely fascinating and always make an effort to visit as many museums as possible when I’m traveling. Yet, I hardly ever go to museums when I’m home. What’s up with that?!
If you’re like me, make a point to start going to local museums. I like to think of museums as a form of time travel. Once you enter, you travel back in history and to far away places.
It’s magical. And often free!
Check museum schedules online as most have rotating exhibitions and often have events with guest speakers and sometimes even “museum + wine after closing hours” nights.
Take Public Transport and Explore Solo
Maybe you aren’t quite ready to take a solo trip abroad so, why not try it out at home? Take a train or bus to the nearest big city to explore on your own.
Strike up conversations with complete strangers. Lose yourself a little bit and learn something new. Chances are you’ll have a great time and discover that a solo experience (even at home) can be an adventure in itself!
Go Glamping
As you most likely already know, I love glamorous camping. Camping doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to rough it.
Go glamping! Get outdoors, pitch a tent and stock it with some of the comforts of home; like an air mattress and silk sheets. Have fun with it and plan a gourmet, fire-side meal and light the area with candles in mason jars.
Bonus: You can pitch a tent almost anywhere! Even in your own backyard!
Read Next: Amazing Glamping Destinations in the USA
Get Involved with a Local Charity Organization
Sometimes the travel bug is really just a lack of purpose and a monotonous routine in your life. Let’s call it the purpose bug – or, the travel bug’s cousin.
Getting involved in your community can be seriously fulfilling and give you a completely new perspective on what “home” means to you.
When I first moved to LA, it was big and scary and uninviting. By involving myself in organizations like Step Up Women’s Network, a non-profit that inspires professional women to inspire teen girls, I entered into a positive community of female mentors and soon had a calendar full of networking events and mixers.
I was volunteering my time, gaining professional experience and making new friends.
Read Next: Los Angeles Dream Center & Adopt-A-Block
Sometimes all it takes is a shift in attitude and adding some excitement to your daily routine. Keep that wanderlustin’ attitude and gratitude for life with you everywhere you go. There is no reason life has to become dull just because you’re back home!
I live just outside of Orlando, FL so I am lucky enough to have theme parks around. Even if you can’t afford the park tickets, Universal has City Walk and Disney has Downtown Disney. Both have great nightlife, shops and restaurants. A friend and I like to go pool hopping at different resorts and hotels. We like to pretend were guests and walk around to see what they have to offer. At the end of the night, we are back in our own beds. I often find my wanderlust subsides for a short time at least.
Yes, yes, and yes!
I always say that when I’m traveling, I’m in a “get-stuff-done” mode that isn’t always present when I’m back home in my comfort zone, where all my basic needs are so easily met. When I travel, I have to figure out how to be resourceful – how get myself around, keep my mind and body busy, feed myself, make connections with other people, etc. When I’m home, these things happen by default without much thought.
I think what most fuels my wanderlust is remembering who I am when I’m traveling and wanting to go back to that state – I’m at my best when I’m wandering about in a new place: alert, present, independent, confident, creative, resourceful, energetic, and open to new people and ideas. With that energy alone I can create an entire day and night of adventures without much planning.
I try to remind myself to replicate that state of energy back home. I try to remember every once in a while to set out on a “night (or day) of adventure” and replicate a sequence of events I had on a previous trip. So, I’ll take a cab or Uber out instead of my car, I’ll go to a new restaurant for dinner alone, from there I’ll ask the host/hostess if they have any favorite local bars with live music, and from there I just let the adventure take me.
Traveling for me is much about learning about myself and how the lessons I learn from my adventures can be channeled into my everyday life in order to live with more passion and adventure, even during the most mundane moments!
Thank you so much for sharing Deborah! I love the way you expressed this– I couldn’t agree more 🙂