5 Ways to Cure Wanderlust When You Can't Travel

I know people make fun of wanderlust. They think it’s a condition only suffered by beautiful, basic, privileged girls with luscious hair on Instagram. I’m here to tell you it’s not, because I suffer from it too.

Wanderlust is something we can all suffer from at some point. When our hearts yearn for adventure. When we need a little magic in our lives. When the routine of work and sleep and repeat seems overwhelming. We find ourselves dreaming of a foreign land. A plane that will take us there. A place where every street and meal is new and exciting and just a little magical. That’s wanderlust.

And I know most of us are suffering from it terribly right now. I was supposed to hit 4 different countries in 3 continents between March and May of this year. The day before my first plane was scheduled for liftoff, my trips were cancelled. All of them. Thank you, Covid.

Of course, things could be worse. I am not complaining. All in all, our time at home has been filled with lovely moments. But, the wanderlust remains.

The thing with wanderlust, though, is that it’s really just our desire for new and different and magic. And we think we have to go somewhere far away—Bali! Paris! Patagonia!—for us to find the magic. But actually, and I really believe this, we can cure our wanderlust right here from home.

It takes a little change in thinking. First, realize that you can make the magic happen. You can find an adventure right in your kitchen (just try making a complicated Indian dish and tell me that that’s not an adventure). Drive down a road you’ve never been on. Explore a new hiking trail all alone. Try a new restaurant in town (curb side pickup, of course). Watch a new film, and bonus points if it’s foreign. There’s magic around every corner if you’re just ready to see it.

Here are 5 more ways you can cure your wanderlust when you can’t travel:

1. Read a good {travel} book.

A good travel book can really help with wanderlust. I prefer the books that don’t glorify travel, but actually get into some of the nitty gritty hard stuff (including the hard heart stuff!) of traveling. One of my favorites is What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding by Kristin Newman. This sounds offensive, but it’s actually an honest look into being a single woman in her 20s and 30s who travels while friends are growing families. She shows the fun and lonely and blah and magical moments. I also really enjoyed Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes. This one is much more lowkey, but so sweet.

2. Watch a good movie.

As much as I love Legally Blonde, I’m talking about a movie that brings that travel spark into your life. Personal favorites: Midnight in Paris and About Time.

3. Plan a picnic.

It’s amazing what a warm day, wearing shorts, lounging on grass with some good food will do for your soul. And, anytime outside is an opportunity for a little magic. Sometimes magic is just a guy with a dog who is wearing a suit (the dog, not the guy), and really what more could you want?

4. Get adventurous in the kitchen.

I briefly mentioned this above, but this has been a big one for me (and apparently everyone else judging by all the baking pictures that took over my feed). One Instagrammer I follow decided to cook a dish from a different country every day, and I loved following along her food travel journey! Another friend decided to try a new baking project every week. She mastered macaroons, sourdough bread, and other weird pastries I’d never heard of but loved seeing.

5. Eat Outside.

This is similar to a picnic, but I mean regularly. On your porch, or by an open window. This is practiced pretty regularly in a lot of different countries, but in the US we always eat our meals in the house. Why? It makes no sense, especially during quarantine. Eating outside, where you might wave and shout a hello to the occasional strolling neighbor or animal-watch a stray neighborhood cat is a wonderful way of curbing that wanderlust.

What are some remedies you use for wanderlust? Of course–nothing compares to the real deal and I can’t wait until it’s safe for us to travel again.