How to Get the Travel Buzz Without Actually Traveling

I've been on a bit of a travel buzz recently. It's like every time I hear about a new place or someone else traveling, I just want to pack my bags and go. There's no doubt the feeling is related to my recent trip to LA, since I've found that each time I travel I only come back wanting to do it more.

But you know, I think there's a reason for that. Travel is addicting because it makes us feel alive in a way that our daily routine usually doesn't. It's normal and expected to seek beauty in our surroundings when we travel, to find things to be fascinated by and get out of our comfort zone. But back at home, we tend to slip back into the familiar. And before long, we're so used to it that all we want is that next vacation.

But recently, I've discovered a trick. If I actively look for ways to find that same wonder and awe that is so prevalent during my travels, ordinary life becomes so much more exciting and engaging. There's many ways to do this, but these are some of my favorites:

Explore a New Part of Your City

This is very much like traveling, except it will require a lot less gas! Grab a friend, pack a picnic, and plan to spend a full day venturing out into a part of the city you're not familiar with. Do plenty of reserarch beforehand so you know what spots to hit up (and how to be safe), but then put those phones away and soak it all in. The most important part of this exercise is to be fully engaged in the moment. Treat the day like a real vacation, and forget that the regular demands of life are waiting only miles away.

Try a Restaurant from a Different Culture

Some of my favorite places to expore are restaurants from different cultures. For example, my friends and I tried a sushi place a few weeks ago that looked straight out of Japan. It was so lovely and made us feel like we were literally in another country. The best part is, it was only 10 minutes out of our way. By the way, if you do this you must order food you're not super familiar with. It's the only way to get the full experience.

Get Around Nature

As much as I admire seeing rows upon rows of skyscrapers in a foreign city, nothing impresses me more than beautiful nature - mountains, forests, the ocean... There is something about nature that moves the human soul in a way that other things can't. Sometimes when I'm stressed out, all it takes is looking up at the trees and noticing how intricate and lovely they are to help me relax. There is just something so alluring about natural beauty. So if you're really looking for an escape, go to an area of your city with lots of trees or (if you're lucky) a view of mountains. Spending even half a day there will do wonders for your heart and soul.

Do Something Spontaneous

Another reason travel is so addicting is because it surprises us. You can go into it with all the plans in the world, but chances are you're going to have to modify your schedule eventually. And some of the best experiences come out of that. So work the same principle into your daily routine by setting aside a day to do something spontaneous. Seriously, schedule it - but don't decide yet what you're going to do. Then when the day comes, do the first crazy, new thing that pops into your head. It might seem a little silly at first, but I've spent the past year doing spontaneous things like this, and I have never once regretted it. I learn something new about myself every time.

Read

No, it's not really like traveling. But the end result is so similar. When you read, you become enthralled in a different world and a different point of view. It's so much like traveling because it opens your mind and allows you to experience things in a way you may not be used to. The best way to do this is to give yourself a whole afternoon to lose yourself in a book. Sometimes when I've done this, I've found myself disoriented when I turned that final page because it felt like I had been out of my own world for days! Mason Cooley said it best:

"Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are."

#travel #2016