Ways to Beat the Post-Travel Blues

I know I’m not the only one who dreams about traveling. Most of us have jobs and responsibilities that limit the amount of traveling we can do. Well, who says you can’t try to beat the post-travel blues while you’re stuck at home? There are so many ways to feel like you’re traveling right from your house!

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1. Read books About Travel or Books Set in a Different Country.

Reading is such a great escape from reality. There are so many things to read that will make you feel like you’re on a vacation. (No promises that these books won’t make you want to travel even more.)

• The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho

This book is all about following your dreams. It follows a young shepherd boy’s journey from Spain to Egypt. Throughout the book, he follows his heart and learns the meaning of life. The book is extremely inspirational and is a great read to keep you motivated in pursuing your dreams.

• Turn Right at Machu Picchu, by Mark Adams

This is a travelogue that recounts the author’s time in Peru. He follows an archeologist’s original route in search of ancient ruins and cities.

• The Year of Living Danishly, by Helen Russell

When Helen’s husband gets a new job in Denmark she decides to move with him. She wants to freelance write and figure out why Danes are so happy.

• Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert

After going through a divorce, Elizabeth decides to travel. She spends four months and Italy, three months in India, and ends the year in Indonesia. She discovers love, spirituality, and balance throughout her journey.

• Rick Steve’s Travel Guides, by Rick Steve’s

Unlike the other book recommendations, Rick’s books are travel guides. He is the
European travel master. In his guides, he shares everything you need to know
about the destination and even shares detailed itineraries depending on how
long you are spending in each place.
Kyle and I actually followed a lot of his tips when we took our first trip to Italy.

2. Watch Travel Inspired Movies or Travel Vlogs

Watching movies and travel vlogs can be a great way to experience other countries
without actually being there.

Movies

• Roman Holiday (1953)

Roman holiday is a romantic comedy starring Audrey Hepburn. She plays a princess on a visit to Rome and secretly leaves her embassy to explore on her own.

• Under the Tuscan Sun (2005)

This film follows a recently divorced writer who buys a Tuscan village on a whim.

• Into The Wild (2007)

After Christopher graduates from Emory University, he gives his entire savings of $24,000 to charity. He then decides to hitchhike to Alaska to live in the wilderness.

• Midnight in Paris (2011)

Midnight in Paris is a fantasy comedy. It stars Owen Wilson, a screenwriter who visits Paris with his materialistic fiancé. While in Paris he time travels to the 1920s every day at midnight.

T.V.

• National Parks Top 10

National Parks Top 10 is a show on the travel channel. They explore the most beautiful national parks and find the best food, adventures, and hidden spots on the way.

• Castle Secrets and Legends

This show also premiers on the travel channel. You learn the mysterious tales about the people who once resided in these beautiful castles, manors, and mansions.

• The Layover

Anthony Bourdain hosts this travel and food show. He takes you to a new city each episode and shows all the things you can eat, see, and experience in a period of 24 to 48 hours.

• Rick Steve’s Europe

As I mentioned before Rick Steve’s is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to European travel. He documents his experiences while traveling and shares his tips and itinerary.

• Outlander

Outlander is a drama series that premiered on Starz. It’s based on the bestselling book series which I have heard were amazing. I just started reading the books after watching the series because I loved it so much.

The show follows Claire, a married former World War II nurse, in 1946. She finds herself transported back to 1743 in Scotland where she eventually falls in love with a highland warrior.

Again, I can’t tell you how amazing this show is. I binge-watched the first 4 seasons in like a month.

DISCLAIMER: This is not a kid-friendly show.

Travel Vlogs

There are so many different types of travel vlogs you can watch. These are a few of my favorites.

• Haylsa and Kyle

Hayley Andersen @haylsa and her boyfriend Kyle Hunter @kyle_hunter are travel couple goals. They each have a huge following on Instagram and they take the most amazing photos. Their travel vlogs on YouTube are like a dream.

• Tahlia Skaines

Tahlia @tahliaskaines is another Australian beauty. Her Instagram is full of gorgeous colorful photos. The vlogs she posts super entertaining to watch.

• Christian LeBlanc

Christian @lostleblanc is a daily blogger from Canada. He left his 9-5 job to travel the world fulltime. The goal of his vlogs is to inspire people to follow their passion for traveling.

3. Take a Virtual Tour

There are so many virtual tours that are being offered. From zoos, museums, and even theme parks you could watch them for hours. Here are just a few of the ones I’ve seen being shared lately. (I have not personally watched all of these)

Museums

• Louvre Museum– Paris, France
• The Smithsonian– Washington, D.C.
• The Vatican– Rome, Italy

Zoo/Aquarium

• Georgia Aquarium– Atlanta, Georgia
• Houston Zoo– Houston, Texas
• National Aquarium– Baltimore, Aquarium

Theme Parks

• Walt Disney World– Orlando, Florida
• Lego Land– Orlando Florida
• Sea World– Orlando, Florida

National Parks

These “tours” are done through Google Maps so they aren’t necessarily a tour. That being said I found it fascinating to be able to see the park and find some spots for photo ops before visiting. Click here to see some of them.

• Acadia National Park
• Glacier National Park
• Mount Rainier National Park

Other Points of Interest

• Trevi Fountain– Rome, Italy
• Pont Alexandre III– Paris, France
• Taj Mahal– Agra, India
• Brandenburg Gate– Berlin, Germany

Another way to explore from the comfort of your home is the Google Arts and Culture app. You can explore national parks, museums, and other points of interest. Some even have virtual tour guides.

There are 5 National Parks you can explore with a guide:

• Kenai Fjords- Alaska
• Hawai’i Volcanoes- Hawaii
• Carlsbad Caverns- New Mexico
• Bryce Canyon- Utah
• Dry Tortugas- Florida

Check them out here: https://artsandculture.google.com/project/national-park-service

4. Eat (and Drink) Around the World

Try out different traditional recipes from around the world. A Carbonara recipe from Italy, a Mojito from Cuba, Irish Stew from, well Ireland (obviously). Eating is a great way to feel like your on vacation and beat those post-travel blues.

Cookbooks

• Sababa by Adeena Sussman

Adeena is an American food writer who moved to Israel. She shares everything she learned to cook in this book.

• American Sfoglino by Evan Funke and Katie Parla

This book is the homemade pasta bible. Chef Evan and food writer Katie tell you everything you need to know about making pasta just like you would have in Italy. Yum!

• Made in Mexico by Danny Mena, with Nils Bernstein

In this cookbook, you will have access to all kinds of traditional Mexican recipes. There are tacos, street snacks, and even salsas. The author takes you around the city getting inspiration from restaurants before giving the recipes. If you plan on visiting Mexico I highly recommend giving this a read before you go.

Drink Recipes

• Around the World in 80 Cocktails by Chad Parkhill

Chad is a Bartender and writer that takes you on a tour of different places that shaped famous cocktails

• The Drunken Botanist: The Plants that Create the World’s Great Drinks by Amy Stewart

A fascinating mix of science and chemistry, The Drunken Botanist shows how over 150 different plants, trees, and shrubs are used to make different cocktails.

• World’s 50 most delicious drinks- CNN Article

Here you can find a CNN Travel article on the most delicious drinks around the world.

Pinterest

There is an endless number of recipes on Pinterest. It’s normally the first place I look when I want to make something new. You can find all the recipes I have saved here.

Youtube

If you are a visual learner you can take a virtual cooking class or watch food vlogs to follow along and try a new recipe as well.

• Tasty 

Tasty is one of the largest food networks. They post all kinds of recipes, tips, and kitchen gadget reviews.

• Rosanna Pansino

Rosanna is the host behind Nerdy Nummies, one of the internet’s most popular baking shows.

• Jamie Oliver

Jamie Oliver’s Food Tube is a great place to get recipes, expert tutorials, and funny videos.

5. Listen to a Travel Podcast

I don’t know about you but I love podcasts. I listen to so many. Here are a few of my favorite travel ones

• The Offbeat Life– Debbie Arcangeles

Debbie is the host of The Offbeat Life. She started a podcast sharing stories of the people she has met during her travels.

• The Thought Card– Danielle Card

Danielle’s podcast is a genius. She shares how to make smart financial decisions with her followers that allow them to accomplish both their travel and financial goals.

• Flight of Fancy– Ben Groundwater

Each week the host, Ben Groundwater, interviews travel professionals on topics like travel experiences and how traveling can mend a broken heart.

• The Thoughtful Travel Podcast– Amanda Kendle

One of my favorite travel podcasts. When I listen to this podcast I feel like I’m hanging out with my friends. Amanda interviews a ton of fellow travelers and talks about everything travel related to their experiences to navigating different cultures.

6. Plan Your Dream Trip

I spend most of my downtime researching and planning my next trip. It’s one of my favorite ways to kick the post-travel blues. Getting excited about all the details of my next trip always helps me pass the time until my next trip.

Check out our article here for tips on planning your next big trip.

Hopefully, these 6 tips help you pass the time and beat the post-travel blues! Let me know in the comments what else you do to keep the post-travel blues at bay.