Traveling When You Can't Travel - #3

30 Minute Holiday

Happy Weekend!

Spring has sprung, and the sunshine seems to be calling me out into the world once again. After months of masks and social distancing, I hope you, too, are soaking in the freedom we all remember but feared might never return. And now, since we can also GO again, who has travel plans? I hope you’re going somewhere amazing very soon. It’s been so long.

Me?

Unfortunately, I don’t have plans just yet.

But I’m not going to let that get me down! You see, I’m convinced that travel is still possible even when I can’t travel. What? Yep, it just takes a little bit of extra intention and creativity. Let me explain.

Here’s an example of what I do to satisfy my traveling spirit on a lazy Saturday when I can’t travel.

I just ask myself, “self, where do you wish you could adventure today?” (weirdo) Weird or not, I’ve always got an answer. Then I simply go on a quick search and use a bit of imagination to figure out how to get myself as close to “there” today as possible. Here’s what I mean…

Let’s say I’m dreaming of France. Maybe I’ll do a Google search to find a French patisserie or café that’s close by. Then I’ll locate a Parisian café channel on Spotify to play as I drive and travel there for brunch. Upon returning home I might watch a Rick Steves Youtube video exploring Provence or take a virtual tour of the Louvre. Oo La La!

How about Israel? It turns out there is a great Jewish delicatessen in Denver where Guy Ferrari filmed a show on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives. It’s only 25 minutes away. Maybe I’ll watch that show and then take a quick trip to “Israel” for lunch.

Vietnam? I remember Anthony Bourdain did a show with President Obama in a bun cha restaurant in Hanoi. Why not find a few clips of that show to raise my cuisine knowledge and then go for a Vietnamese dinner with some friends. To top it off, we could stop at the local Asian market and try some tasty treats before starting home.

Do you see what I’m doing? Traveling when you can’t travel is all about creativity and mindset. It’s one thing to pop into a Chinese restaurant and thoughtlessly fill your belly. It’s a travel adventure when you take a tiny bit of time to intentionally create an experience. Give it a try. With your own imagination, the itineraries you can create are going to be endless AND tons of fun.

What if I don’t live in a city that offers cultural diversity but I still want to have an adventure?

No problem. It just so happens that I’ve created a little getaway just for you.

All you need to do is gather your favorite drink or treat and cozy up in a comfy chair. Today I must be hungry because food seems to be the theme.

Below I have curated a 30-minute holiday to food markets throughout the world for you. I hope you enjoy being swept away for 30 minutes in Chaing Mai, Marrakesh, Budapest, Frankfurt, Palermo and Paris.

Thanks to the internet, we can all “travel” just about anywhere, any time we like.

Still dreaming of your next REAL holiday, but you don’t know how you’ll ever afford it?

For most of us, money and time are the biggest barriers standing in the way. True? Well, this week I just released my first ebook entitled, “Traveling the World for Almost Free.” I can’t do a lot to help with the “time” issue, but I can certainly make your next holiday REALLY affordable. You can pop on over to bigstoryliving.com or @bigstoryliving on Instagram to learn more. In a nutshell, the book is all about how to gather and use frequent flyer miles so you can take your bucket list from a dream to an itinerary - fast. There’s a short video on Instagram which explains more, and the book can be found at the link below. I’d love for you to check it out.

Whether you’re packing your bags or getting ready to try some intentional “traveling when you can’t travel,” I’m so glad you took a few minutes to hang out with me today.

Wherever the weekend takes you…Happy Travels!

Amy