Then, after it’s over, you’re depressed, thinking about the fact that you only have this couple of weeks to travel in a year. You think about quitting your job for travelling, but maybe you love your job or you just aren’t the type that wants to be a nomad. Maybe you just want more of that feeling you get when you travel. The feeling of waking up somewhere new, seeing new things, eating new things, doing new things, be far away from your office and your everyday life (international data plans are expensive!) When we’re at home, we tend to take things for granted. We don’t try to pack as many experiences in as we can when we travel – because we know we’ll always have tomorrow. But many of us never get around to doing this stuff. Tourists come to our country and see more famous sites or beautiful places in a month than we’ve seen in 10 years. So, how do we tap that energy, the energy of tourists? That feeling of excitement that comes when we experience those new things and new places?
1. Make a precious weekend or day off
We treat vacation time like it’s valuable time that must be spent doing meaningful things. But on the weekends, a lot of us tend to just hang around at home, get stuff done, or do the same old things week in and week out. We see the weekend as a time to relax, to catch up on housework and laundry, or to see friends. But can’t we do this stuff during the week, leaving us free to fully enjoy each weekend to its fullest? Give yourself something awesome to look forward to every month — not just once or twice a year. Start with just one weekend a month and go from there.
2. Be a tourist.
No one said you have to leave the country or even your own state to be a tourist. However, you might have to leave your own town (unless your hometown is NYC, SF, or some other big city). Why not pick a place an hour or two away that looks interesting and go there? Learn something about the place. Visit a museum or landmark or beautiful sight (private beach, great hiking spot, etc). Get that traveler feeling you get when you’re in a new city somewhere and you hit the supermarket to stock up your Airbnb. Look up what to see and do, and where the best places are to get fresh fruits, veggies, or any special items the area is known for. Stop at a farmer’s market if they have one. Buy stuff you wouldn’t normally buy and cook something you wouldn’t normally cook. It’ll feel like you really are a tourist on vacation heading back to your rental apartment with your spoils.
3. Change your midweek routine.
Instead of eating at your favorite Thai restaurant or organic pizza joint every Thursday night, try something new. Choose a type of cuisine you normally don’t eat (Ethopian? Afghani? Korean?) or a type of venue you normally don’t frequent (a food truck gathering? A divey taco shop or funky noodle house?). Instead of running in the park every morning before work, try hitting a different spot even if it’s a bit farther. Take a yoga class in the park and meet new people. Go to a movie or a theater production midweek and get dressed up.
4. Turn your home into a vacation resort.
Love the cucumber water they serve at health spas? The pretty way they cut pineapples at that one Caribbean resort you spend every other summer at? The sheets at your favorite hotel? Recreate some of this stuff at home! Cut up some fancy fruit and chill some mint-cucumber-lime water in the fridge. Splurge on some 1000-count Egyptian cotton sheets (believe me, you won’t regret it!). Plan an evening where you listen to some of your favorite vacation-holiday music (salsa music that reminds you of your honeymoon in Latin American? A soundtrack from your road trip in New Zealand?) and nosh on/drink some stuff you haven’t had since you were last abroad.
5. Talk to strangers.
One of the biggest differences between our daily lives (especially as Americans who drive almost everywhere and use GPS and Yelp or Siri for whatever we need to find and wherever we need to go) and our vacation/travel lives is the amount of time we spend talking to strangers. When we are traveling internationally, we most often don’t have regular use of our phones, a vast knowledge of what apps or websites to use to find stuff (if they even exist), or any real idea of how to find the best food, drinks, or vista points without talking to locals or consulting a Lonely Planet guide. A lot of us don’t like to wander around with our nose in a travel guidebook, so we result to — gasp! — talking to strangers. You might chat up that nice restaurant or bar owner you met or the guy who rented you your Airbnb. Maybe get chatty with the tour guide who led you on a city day tour. These exchanges often lead to some of the best experiences and sometimes even to new friendships. But you don’t have to be in a foreign country to feel comfortable talking to strangers. Just try it!
title: “How To Get That Travel High Even When You Re Not Traveling” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-20” author: “Trent Smith”
Travel, on the other hand, is an experience that not only feels good in the moment but also provides us with something to look forward to, something we can reminisce over, and a set of experiences that can bond us with others who have been to similar destinations. Travelling can also make us feel inspired. Have you ever taken a trip away and come back with some new ideas, or even a whole new perspective on life? Being in a ‘holiday mood’ makes us more likely to devise new concepts. Why is this? Dopamine, a neurotransmitter known to induce feelings of pleasure in the brain, triggers feelings of relaxation, which in turn encourage creativity. Distraction is also a great way of facilitating creativity – when you are distracted, your subconscious mind can get to work, triggering conscious insights. Travelling can definitely provide you with distractions, which may be why a change of scenery can help you develop some new ideas. Unfortunately, not many of us can afford the time or money required to travel on a regular basis. However, once you understand the reasons behind ‘travellers’ high,’ you can take steps to recreate that feeling on a regular basis.
How To Get That Travelling Feeling Every Day
Now that you know exactly why travelling feels so good, you can make some adjustments to your daily life that will help you get that feeling even when you’re stuck in your hometown. You don’t have to live a tedious life waiting for your annual trip away or vacation. Start making every day count with a few adjustments!
Stimulate your five senses on a regular basis
Make a point of trying out any new restaurant that opens near you, or cook at least one new recipe every week. Go out of your way to experience new sights – even if you have walked around your local area hundreds of times before, there will be a few back roads and pathways you’ve never explored before. If nothing else, at least get off at a train or bus stop. This will help you feel a similar sense of novelty that you would experience when taking a trip away.
Try and learn a new hobby or skill often
This will replicate that creative, inspired feeling that comes with travelling. Sign up for an evening course or check out events at your local community college. Along with the intellectual stimulation of the new activity, you will also get to meet new people, who in themselves can provide you with new ways of looking at the world.
Appreciate what you usually take for granted
This is another way by which you can gain a new appreciation of what you usually take for granted and it will give you that feeling of having encountered something new and special that is usually reserved for vacations and trips to new places. Why not combine a daily gratitude or ‘giving thanks’ session with a period of meditation? Relaxing your mind and body on a regular basis, just as you do when away on vacation, increases your dopamine levels and in turn your happiness and creativity. Remember that travelling isn’t just about your physical location – it’s a state of mind. Follow the above tips and you can get that travel buzz every day.
