15 Ways to Experience the World When You Can’t Travel
There are several reasons why someone may not be able to travel at the moment, from health reasons to not currently having the funds to take your dream vacation. When your soul wants to wander and you can’t travel, it can be a bit depressing. So, what are you to do? Here are my 15 ways to experience the world when you can’t travel.
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Ways to Experience the World When You Can’t Travel
1. Take a Cooking Class
Learning to cook a new international dish is a fantastic way to experience the world when you can’t travel as it can not only be a way to test your culinary skills but offers a chance to taste the cuisine of a destination that you’d like to visit. If you have cooking classes available in your community, you can take one in person or if not, there are a number of great options to take online cooking classes.
One very affordable option is Sur la Table. With live on-line classes starting at $29 per class, lasting 90-120 minutes each, this is an excellent choice. Classes range from Irish Breads, Chocolate Basics, Sushi Basics, French dishes and Chinese Stir-fry, so there’s sure to be something for all tastes. You can also save 1% on Rakuten in cash back.
Another option is Home Cooking New York, which offers live online classes starting at $45 each. Dishes range from cooking basics and Cheese making to Korean, Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese dishes. They also offer cooking classes designed for kids and teens.
Finally, a slightly more expensive option, is The Table Less Traveled. This live online class is a bit more unique, as the chefs are coming to you live from the country where the dish you are making was created. You’ll learn not only to make a delicious meal, but sometimes even the history behind the dish itself. Classes start at $65 per class.
2. Listen to International Music
When traveling, I’ve discovered some great international artists. One of my favorites being Laura Pausini from Italy. I enjoyed her music so much that when I returned home, I bought one of her CDs. Listening to her music always takes me back to my trip to Italy.
I heard a quote once that said, “music is the language of the soul” and I couldn’t agree more. Even when you can’t understand the words of a song, there is something music that transcends the language barrier and speaks to your heart. That’s why I think that listening to music from another country is a wonderful way to immerse yourself in culture and experience the world when you can’t travel.
The easiest (and most popular) way to listen to international music is by going to YouTube and entering “international music” into the search bar. Alternatively, you could also search for music by country, such as “Irish music” etc. This will bring up a variety of search results that you can sample and decide what you like. Best of all, it’s free to use!
3. Take a Dance Class
Okay, before you begin to doubt my sanity for this recommendation, I am a firm believer that people of all abilities can dance, even if the methods are a bit different. I have found dance instructors that either specialize in adapting dancing to the differently abled or at least willing to try to work with someone’s abilities.
While not all communities have dance instructors that specialize in dance for the disabled, I suggest contacting different dance studios to see what is available and whether they can accommodate people who are differently abled. You may be surprised at what you find out.
Another option, if you’re a little more self-conscious like me or can’t find a local instructor to work with you, would be to go to YouTube. By searching “dance lessons for wheelchair users” several great options come up in the results. You can also search for a specific type of dance, for example, “salsa lessons for wheelchair users”.
This option allows you to learn a dance in the comfort of your own home and experience another side of a country’s culture. My biggest suggestion with this is to not get frustrated about doing it perfectly and to just have fun. Focus on what you can do, even if it’s only using a portion of your body. This is all about having a good time while experiencing something new.
4. Try an International Restaurant
So, we’ve covered music and dance, but it’s almost impossible to experience a destination without trying its food! If you aren’t into cooking, then the next best option to try an international dish is to go to a great restaurant. Many towns, even small towns, have the option of going to a great ethnic restaurant.
I live in a very small community, but the next town over we have the option of going to some amazing Italian, Indian and Chinese restaurants. Even if your dining options are limited, consider trying a new dish that you don’t usually order. You may be pleasantly surprised and have a new favorite meal!
Typically, when doing this I look for family-owned places rather than chain restaurants. Not only do you help a local small business, but you’re more likely to get a more authentic experience.
➡️ Travel Tip: If you don’t have any international restaurants near you, you can also choose to try a country-themed food box. Tokyo Treat is a fantastic option that comes with a variety of Japanese snacks.
Read my complete Tokyo Treat Box Review by clicking here.
5. Host a Travel Themed Dinner or Tea Party
Hosting a travel themed event like a dinner or tea party, is a fun way to show off any cooking skills you may have learned by taking a class and to get together with friends and family. Even if you don’t want to cook for yourself, you could have the event catered by a local restaurant and still experience new dishes and share travel memories.
When I did this, I had a chocolate-tasting tea party right around Valentine’s Day. I invited all my girlfriends, had special decorations and it was a terrific way to spend an afternoon. I went to my local grocery store, which has an international section, and picked up both milk and dark chocolate from various countries (I.e., Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Ecuador, and the USA).
Upon tasting these delicious treats, we compared texture, taste, smell, and snap (which is a sign of good chocolate). I then paired the chocolate with various teas from around the world (if you’re not a tea drinker, you could also do this with wines). Everyone had a fantastic time and got to experience delicacies from various countries. It also gave me some inspiration on countries that specialize in chocolate that I may want to visit in the future.
6. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo
Everyone loves an excuse for a party, right? Well, why don’t you combine a party with a cultural celebration! While planning this event, I recommend doing some research on the importance of the holiday as well as how it’s traditionally celebrated. Then incorporate as many of these cultural elements into your own party.
Tip: Doing research on the holiday and how it’s celebrated will make your party feel authentic and help you experience the world when you can’t travel.
I mentioned Cinco de Mayo, but this could really be done with any holiday not normally celebrated in the USA. A friend of mine always throws a Cinco de Mayo party every year. She hires a local band, has traditional food, drinks, and decorations, and gets a pinata for the kids. It’s a great time for everyone in attendance.
Other ideas for celebrations you can take part in are Carnival, Chinese New Year, Mardi Gras, St. Patrick’s Day, All Saints Day, and many more.
7. Attend a Festival
If throwing your own party seems a bit overwhelming, check to see if there are any cultural festivals in your area. I know in my area alone every year there are events honoring Greek, Polish, and Italian cultures. These events feature traditional foods, crafts, and music. Sometimes, traditional attire and dance are also highlighted.
Depending on where you live, there may be a variety of options available. One way of finding out when and where these types of events occur is by contacting your state’s tourism office (which usually prints these dates and times in their brochures).
8. Go on a Virtual Tour
One of the good things that came from the pandemic (because I need to find something positive from this whole mess) is that many places have created virtual tours. This allows people of all abilities and from all around the world to experience some of the world’s most popular attractions and things to do.
All you need to experience these places is a computer or cell phone. Using Google Chrome is also the recommended browser. You can feel as if you’re actually in these places if you have a virtual reality headset, but this is not required.
Many of these tours can be found by searching on Google, but I’m going to give you links to three websites that list these tours in one place. Then by clicking on the links they provide; it will take you on your desired tour.
The first site is 60 Virtual Tours To Travel The World For FREE From Home (nomadandinlove.com) and as the title suggests, has links to 60 popular tours. The second site is Virtual Tours: 17 Incredible Places Around The World You Can Visit For Free (thetravelintern.com) and offers some different tours than the first site I mentioned. The last site is Can’t Travel? Here are 45+ of the Best Virtual Tours Around The World (globotreks.com) and offers additional tours, organized by museums, national parks, cities, and so forth. Some of the ones that are previously listed on the other sites may have a different tour of the same attraction from a different perspective.
9. Research Your Genealogy
Discovering more about where you come from can be very enlightening and help you get in touch with your own cultural heritage. Popular sites like ancestry.com offer a host of resources to help you with this process. There are also free websites that you can use (but it will require a little more work on your part) such as myheritage.com and findagrave.com.
How Do I Research My Genealogy?
Talking with other members of your family will also help with this endeavor as well as possibly providing you with little-known family stories and information. They may even have special mementos that have been passed down from generation to generation. In my family, there is a German Christmas cookie recipe that has been passed down at least 6 generations. We love baking them every year because they are not only delicious but keep us in touch with our heritage.
Another (and quicker) option is to take a DNA test. This can be done in combination with your family research or independently. The two most popular companies that offer this option are 23 and Me (which also provides health information) and ancestry.com.
I have used ancestry.com and found the results interesting. As a bonus, ancestry.com will re-run your test for free whenever they update their system and database. So, while my overall results have been relatively consistent, the percentages of each result have changed over time.
How Does Researching Your Genealogy Help You to Experience the World When You Can’t Travel?
Through this process, I have learned more about not only my family’s history but world history as well. Utilizing my research and DNA test results, I plan to visit each country that my ancestors have come from. I hope to get more of a sense of each of the cultures so that I can make a conscious effort to incorporate them into my life.
In addition, researching my family history has also helped me feel more connected to my grandpa (who has passed) as this was one of his hobbies which I took over in his honor. Some of the details you can find out about people are amazing and it has allowed me to feel close to family members I’ve never even met as well.
10. Watch a Movie or Show that Takes You to a New Place
One of the reasons why movies are so popular is that they can transport us. We can get lost and involved in the story that they tell us while traveling to places we may have never been. Travel tv shows can offer a similar experience and allow you to experience a part of the world when you can’t travel.
Here I have listed some of my favorite movies and shows to watch when I want to travel around the world from the comfort of my couch.
Movies
-Under the Tuscan Sun (Italy)
-Eat, Pray, Love (Italy, India, Bali)
-Crazy Rich Asians (Singapore)
-The Sound of Music (Austria)
-Moana (South Pacific)
-Midnight in Paris (Paris)
-Roman Holiday (Rome, Italy)
-Murder on the Orient Express
-Indiana Jones series (various destinations)
-Thelma and Louise (USA)
-Mama Mia (Greece)
-Up (Venezuela)
TV shows
-Expedition Unknown
-The Amazing Race
-Samantha Brown’s Places to Love
-Rick Steve’s Europe
11. Learn a New Language
Another way to get an appreciation for another country is to learn its language. This is especially helpful if you are planning an international trip for some time in the future. As an added bonus, it will keep you mentally stimulated and engaged in a new activity.
How Do I Learn a New Language?
Check Local Colleges for Classes
There are a variety of options to learn a language. Check your local college for language classes designed for travelers. I was able to take advantage of an adult education class at a local community college before my trip to Italy and it was so helpful.
In this class, I learned common phrases that I’d actually use and practiced my pronunciation. I felt so much more confident during my trip and the locals really appreciated my attempts and efforts to speak their language… even if it didn’t come out perfectly.
Learn from Home with an App or Online Program
If taking a class at your local college isn’t an option, you can also learn from home. There are both paid and free options for learning online or by an app on your phone. Babbel is one of the popular paid learning tools. Rakuten also offers cash back on Babbel purchases.
➡️ Check the price of using Babbel to prepare for your next international trip by clicking here.
If you don’t want to spend money on learning a new language or aren’t sure how it will go, there are some free options as well. While Rosetta Stone offers a paid learning service, it also offers an app for your phone that you can use free of charge. The other popular language-learning app is Duolingo. Both offer a variety of languages for you to study.
Once you get some basic proficiency, you can then practice your reading, writing, and speaking skills with a live person using either Conversation Exchange or The Mixxer. Both have tools to help match you to someone (who is also learning a language like English) that you can communicate with.
Using these tools to learn a new language (or two) will help prepare you for your next international trip and give you a sense of where you will be visiting.
12. Create a Local Art/Craft
Another way you can experience a country is by learning one of its crafts. Often countries have a craft that they are known for, whether it be batik fabrics, wood, or leather working etc. Learning a new skill or craft will help to get your creative juices flowing, challenge you and give you an appreciation for that country’s handiwork.
Some ideas on things you could learn are dying batik fabrics, making batik prints, weaving, origami, ceramics, pottery etc. You can either take a class at an art studio or use the power of YouTube for online tutorials and create a work of art at home.
13. Reminisce on Past Trips by Making a Photo Book
I have also used downtime to go through photos from past trips to make a photo book. Often, things get so busy that I fall behind in creating a central place for my mementos and pictures. The pandemic has given me plenty of time to catch up on these creative projects.
You can either make a scrapbook with decorative papers and other embellishments (which you can get at your local craft store) or make an online photo book or other items (canvas prints, photo mugs, blankets, etc.). The two most used sites to do this are Shutterfly and Snapfish. Both of these sites partner with Rakuten to give you cash back on your purchases. Shutterfly also often has sales to save you additional money.
I like making a photo book for each of my trips. It helps me to relive my experience and it is fun to show others who are interested in my trip.
14. Plan Your Next Trip
I’m going to be honest, COVID has made me a bit stir-crazy at times. One of my releases, escapes, coping methods… whatever you want to call it, has been planning future trips. In fact, I think I have trip plans for the next 3 years.
Somehow, it has helped me to daydream about possible destinations, unique experiences and to research accessibility. I’ve purposely looked at destinations and things that I never imagined would have accessibility just to see if I could find a way I could visit. Surprisingly, I was able to discover an accessible way to explore these places, which of course, led to me planning a trip to that destination.
My point in all of this is that it never hurts to dream. Sometimes, dreaming can even get you through difficult times (like the pandemic). I found solace in planning and looking ahead to the future when restrictions have eased. I hope that planning your next trip brings you similar results.
➡️ Help someone you love plan a trip to the US National Parks by choosing one of the items from my post on the best gifts for national park lovers. It has something for everyone to inspire their next trip.
15. Join a Travel Group on Facebook
It can be fun to live vicariously through others to experience the world when you can’t travel. I’ve joined several travel groups on Facebook to get travel inspiration and see/hear about others’ experiences. Facebook offers a large variety of groups to choose from including cruises, national parks, road trips and groups specific to international travel destinations.
There is definitely something for everyone. These groups also come in handy when planning your own trip should you have questions or need recommendations. They are also a great place to be able to share your own stories and experiences (because who doesn’t like talking about travel).
Conclusions on Ways to Experience the World When You Can’t Travel
While for many people, constant travel just isn’t practical. Things like the pandemic and budgeting for trips add extra challenges. The good news is, you can still experience the world when you can’t travel. These are the things that I do to satisfy my wanderlust and I know they will help you as well.
