Travel the World Without Leaving Home

Whole worlds are accessible without even stepping out of your front door. While obviously our physical movement is curtailed right now, that does not mean we are limited in where we can travel in our minds, and in today’s hyperconnected world, there are new ways of finding inspiration right there our living rooms.

Thinking about how we can broaden our horizons through ‘travelling’ in different ways can not only help us during lockdowns. It can also help us understand how to reach out, connect and experience the wonderful world we call home in new ways – that might have a far smaller impact on our planet.

Of course, reading a good book has always opened up new worlds of knowledge, excitement and adventure. If you are as much of a bookworm as me, you’ll certainly have plenty of fun reading. Pick up a great book and there is no telling what worlds you might be whisked off to. Reading travel books, non fiction books you might previously not have considered, or even a really good novel can take you out of your immediate environment and take you on an amazing journey. 

But now we have the Internet, we also have many new possibilities to expand our minds and understand the wider world in new and interesting ways. Many natural and man-made wonders, museums and cultural attractions around the world can be explored from home through the wonders of modern technology. There are plenty of amazing videos you can watch online to explore parts of the world, and cultures, that you have not visited before.

And when you reach out to others beyond your ‘social media bubble’ you can learn from those who live very different lives to your own. Sign up for a new course, or take up a new hobby. Reach out to someone whose work you admire, or to people working in a field you are interested in. Even online, you can head outside your comfort zone and gain a lot in the process.

Thinking about what travel offers, and how we can gain those things from home is not just a way to survive lockdown, but perhaps also a way to reduce the amount we travel far and wide to cut our carbon footprints in future.

I’m not saying that we should give up travel altogether. But by exploring all that we already have access to, we begin to see how lucky we are, and can plan slow travel adventures for the future.