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For those of us who love to travel, the in-between stages are the worst. You know the feeling; returning home has lost its appeal, but your finances won’t stretch to another vacation, or even if money is not a concern, you perhaps don’t have the required leaves, or you simply cannot jet-set-and-go for one reason or another. You feel the familiar tingles of needing to get away, but you’re trapped for the foreseeable. Doesn’t this sound familiar?

It’s an unpleasant reality which we all have to face. Even if your boss would give you the time off, your money would never stretch to unlimited travel. While some people are lucky enough to jet off for lives on the road, most of us have commitments. The good news is, you don’t have to suffer until you can actually take off for your next adventure. Instead, there are a few things you can do to survive when you have no vacation in your future. Being someone who’s always aching to travel, I’ve figured out some ways to calm that restlessness and sooth those travel cravings and I thought I should compile them into a to-do list for you guys. So here you go:

Explore new places nearby or be a tourist in your own city

Majority of us love exploration best when we go away. But, there’s no reason you have to fly to faraway places to enjoy such explorations. In truth, it’s likely there’s plenty for you to investigate right here at home. And, you can be guaranteed that it’ll be much cheaper to do this. In fact, there are probably areas within easy driving distance which you don’t even know that well. If you want to go further afield, you could cut costs by camping overnight, or booking into a budget hostel. Either way, small trips nearby can satisfy your urge to experience new things. You can even consider being a tourist in your own city! I can bet there are places in your very own city that you haven’t seen or experienced yet. Even if you don’t think there’s anywhere worth delving into, there are probably some pleasant surprises around. Ask friends for recommendations, or get a map, pick places at random and just drive. Either way, have fun with this!

Eat exotic food

Of course, it isn’t only the exploration which makes our vacations. The food usually plays a pretty significant role, too. I love trying out local cuisines when I travel. So whenever I get homesick for the road, I go out for ethnic or exotic food that reminds me of faraway places. Looking online could see you recreating your favorite holiday dishes of the past. Or, you could opt for real authenticity by visiting restaurants which serve great Thai food, standout Italian dishes or whatever you fancy. Such outlets are often run by entrepreneurs from the countries in question. As such, you can be sure to get the perfect flavors. It’ll be a blast straight into countries you’ve visited and loved or dream of visiting.

Read a travel book or watch a travel movie

I love reading books and watching movies and whenever I’m feeling an uncontrollable wanderlust, I pick up a travel-themed book to read or movie to watch. If I’m thinking about a particular place, I search for books or movies that are based in those places. For instance, when I’m thinking about my vacation in Italy or missing it badly, I always watch ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’ or ‘The Roman Holiday’. My go-to movie whenever I miss traveling is the Bollywood flick ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’ (which literally translates to ‘You won’t get a second life’). A few of my favorite travel books are Angelina Jolie’s Notes From My Travels, The Geography of Bliss, The Turk Who Loved Apples, Seven Ages Of Paris and Vagabonding.

Visit a museum in your own city

If you aren’t living in a big city, chances are there might not be any extraordinarily riveting museums, but every city will have its own museum, no matter how tiny. It could be an art museum, a military museum or maybe a museum on the history of your own town. Whatever it is, it will at least get you out of the house!

Plan your next trip

Nothing is as good for passing the time as planning your next trip. This gives you something to aim towards, as well as ensuring you’re aware how much you need to save before you jet off. Which means that you could reduce time spent waiting by developing a savings plan. What’s more, planning activities and such ensures that you can book last minute and still be ready to go. If you fancy, you could even develop a list of a few different options. Bear in mind, though, that you might want to leave yourself free to do this next time you’re desperate to get away.

Read your favorite travel blogs or watch travel vlogs

I love to read about other travelers’ experiences or just look at their travel pictures for some inspiration. I obviously feel there’s value to what travel bloggers or vloggers have to say.

Drool over travel photos on Pinterest, Tumblr or Instagram

Now, I have no shame in accepting that I’m a Pinterest and Instagram addict. I love browsing through other people’s travel photos and get blown away by their photography talent and their sense of wanderlust. I’m a sucker for scenes from nature, cityscapes, open roads and beautiful architecture. I’m currently obsessed with browsing pictures from British Columbia and Alberta in Canada, Thailand, Savannah (Georgia, US) and Antarctica.

How do you manage wanderlust when you find yourself stuck at home? Tell me in the comments below. I’d love to know!

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Bearing the In-between of Travel: Ways to soothe your wanderlust when you can't actually travel

Bearing the In-between of Travel: Ways to soothe your wanderlust when you can't actually travel