This is Part 2 in the Travelling Heart Series on The Sea Is One.
Read also Part 1:
Welcome to Part Two in the Travelling Heart Series, where I will be talking about how you can feel like travelling without moving an inch. Well, don’t take that inch too literally though, because I will share with you some ideas on how to “travel” in your own town.
This list of actions you can undertake to satisfy your hunger for new horizons is meant both as an inspiration to you, and as a teaser of what to expect on this blog in the future. In the Travelling Heart Department, I will continue writing about how I try to feel International At Home and how I try to incorporate the world into my daily life.
There’s no “Don’t Try This At Home”-sign to be found on this website, so please feel free to have some fun experimenting, and let us know in the comments what you did and how you liked it!
Let’s get on with the List!
1. For a quick fix
- Make yourself a cappuccino for a superfast trip to Italy, or mix some chili pepper in your hot chocolate for instant surprises taking you back to old Mayan culture!
- Order a colourful pizza, fresh sushi or your favourite dish from your local Chinese restaurant.
- Day dream about new horizons to be discovered.
- Watch a foreign movie in the original language, like Viva la Libertà (trailer without subtitles) or Spirited Away.
- Go to YouTube for some traditional or contemporary tunes from the country of your choice. You might be surprised by Japanese ‘koto’, a traditional instrument; or contemporary South African music (Zinkplaat).
2. At home, when you have a little more (preparation) time
- Prepare dinner based on a traditional dish from your country of choice. Be it steak and fries, penne all’arrabbiata, or a noodle dish {find recipe!}
- Turn on your computer and do one of the following:
.. Read travel journals or blogs. Some great examples are Go Nomad and the super cute Have Baby Will Travel.
.. Choose any city and visit their tourism page. New York, Paris or London, baby?
.. Screen review sites like Tripadvisor or Spotted by Locals.
{ Beware of the major drooling risk when you take on one of these! }
- Start learning a new language, not because you need it for work, but just because you love the sound of it.
- Throw a themed party. Choose a country you love (or would love to go to), prepare some traditional and famous dishes (or ask your friends to make them). You can look for some music, pictures of great sights to hang around the house, and maybe even think of a costume or more simple, an accessory to wear. For once, don’t worry about clichés like a Parisian artist, Spanish toreador or Japanese geisha. Just have fun with it. And doing your research, you might discover so much more about this country.
- Invite your friends over, and make sure you have a phrase book or internet connection at hand, for guaranteed fun speaking a completely foreign language. You never know when it might come in handy.
3. In town
- Go to the library, bookstore or search the net for some tourist information on your own town. You’ll certainly discover some new spots or stories!
- Settle at the local library or a bookstore for some time and decide on a country. Find
- some information on the capital city;
- natural highlights;
- traditional religions;
- traditional clothes, music and/or dishes;
- a recipe to try out at home;
- a famous writer, singer and/or artist from that country.
Share your finds and imagine a trip to that specific country. Would you go there? If you really fall in love with it (or with your date, for that matter), look for travel advice, start saving some money and take that trip ^.^
For the same idea, but with less work, do as follows:
Visit the local library and collect travel guides on your chosen country/ies. Go to a bar that serves food of that country and enjoy!
Of course, this will work best when you choose countries like Italy, China, Japan, maybe even India, Nepal or Marocco, depending on the kind of restaurants your town hosts. I can imagine a Brazilian, Danish or Indonesian restaurant may be harder to find But of course, you could combine your chosen country and visit a restaurant from the same continent. It will not be exactly ‘correct’, as there is no such thing like Chinese sushi, but when emergency calls and you desperately need a shot of internationalism in your life, I’m guessing it might just work. 🙂
- Invite friends from out of town and treat them on a guided tour by You! Make sure to include some fun stories, opportunities to taste local specialties, and maybe even insert a little detective game or quiz to the day out!
Last but not least
If you really need to get out of your familiar surroundings, start by discovering your own country. I’m pretty sure there still are some cities or natural parks you have never been to. Even here, in tiny Belgium, I haven’t seen it all! So just hop on a train, and enjoy some sustainable close-to-home travel.
What other way can you imagine to enjoy the travelling vibe without actually moving too far? Let us know in the comments!
xx Miss Ellen
