Does the Pandemic got you feeling restless?
Just because we need to stay local for the foreseeable future does not mean we can’t explore the world by other means! La Dolce Vigna Wine + Culture Tour Co. has put together this creative list of ways you can quench your wanderlust from the comfort of your own home….possibly in your around-the-clock pajamas!
Here are 25 Ways to Travel
When You’re Stuck Inside
Prepare for take off.
1) Open one of the bottles of wine you brought back from your last trip and let it transport you to those distant feelings and sensations.
2) Are those bottles long gone? (No one’s judging.) Sign up for this Wine + Culture Club and get a quarterly shipment of Italian wine plus cultural swag that ranges from artisanal crafts, gourmet foodstuffs, music, films and books—all delivered to your front door!
3) Buy a travelogue or book that inspires travel recommended by your local bookstore. (If you must, Amazon.) Check out these two lists from Conde Naste Traveler: Best Travel Books and Most Transportive Travel Books.
4) Use the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button on Google Earth and explore the place that comes up. (For the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button, look for the little di, as in dice, icon to the left of Earth.)
5) Enjoy world-class museum exhibitions, operas and classical music from your couch thanks to virtual streaming.
The Metropolitan Opera is streaming recordings of their world-class operas
6) Get take-out from local restaurants serving cuisine from your favorite countries (while simultaneously showing some love to your struggling local businesses).
7) Consider combining your take-out with a matching international film for a double feature of sorts. Watch one of these top Italian language films; alternatively, check out the International Films on Netflix. As Bong Joon-ho, winner of the 2020 Oscars for Best Director, Best Film, Best International Feature Film and Best Screenplay, said in his acceptance speech, “Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.”
Famous scene from Fellini’s La Dolce Vita (1960)
8) Finally put together a travel photo book from your last adventure.
9) Give your home a travel-inspired makeover by getting out some of those souvenirs and/ or seeking special pieces online.
10) It’s never too early to start doing research for your next trip. Consider visiting one of these Less-Trodden Romantic Spots in Italy with or without a partner! (As soon as it is safe to travel, of course!)
Polignano a Mare, Puglia, Italy
11) Set a timer for 5 minutes and make a list of places you most want to travel to.
12) Make a Pinterest board of those places.
13) Learn a language on Duo Lingo. Perhaps one you can use traveling to a country on your wish list above? Even fifteen minutes a day can make a difference over a couple of months!
14) Set up a chair adjacent to a window in your home, pour yourself a cocktail or glass of wine, unplug from your email/ the news/ social media, sit back, and stare out your window as if you were on an airplane. Bonus if you have a reclining chair: You just got upgraded to first class!
Dream of the day when you can sit uncomfortably on a 10+ hour international flight
15) Book a trip you need to reserve one year out. Shameless plug: La Dolce Vigna has a couple spots left for private Wine + Culture Tours in 2021.
16) Try out Radio Garden, which connects you to radio stations from around the world. Alternatively, try Spotify’s Top 50 lists from your country of choice or the Global Top 50.
Masters of Joujouka from Morocco
17) Drool over The New York Times’ 52 Places to Go in 2020.
18) Test out recipes from International Cookbooks and Food Blogs.
19) Cook your next Italian-inspired meal while listening to La Dolce Vigna’s vintage Italian mix on Spotify.
Perfect soundtrack for cooking / cleaning / organizing…
20) Re-watch Planet Earth or One Planet to visit the extremes of our Mother Earth. Bonus activity: brainstorm ways you can take your Earth-saving efforts to the next level!
21) Finally take the time to read your credit card’s fine print and see how you can maximize your travel points; Alternatively, apply for a new travel-focused credit card.
22) Check out MoMA’s 1955 photography exhibition Family of Man, which aimed at promoting global solidarity following WWII. (The catalog is wonderful!)
23) Start a travel journal and make notes from your most recent travels. Better late than never!
24) Spice up your cooking with a kit of spices from around the world, lovingly sourced by Oaktown Spice Shop. (Bonus: they include suggested recipes for some of the spices!)
25) Follow interesting travel writers on Instagram and follow their posts to inspire your next trip when this is all over! (Last shameless plug: follow me at @ladolcevigna for wine + travel + culture pics in Italy, Argentina and California.)
Wine + Culture Tours by La Dolce Vigna
About Leslie Rosa, Author
Leslie Rosa is a Sommelier and Founder of La Dolce Vigna, a boutique wine + culture tour company offering small group and private trips to Italy, Argentina and California. Her tours impart a full sense of place through family-run and historic wineries, regional cuisine, stunning natural scenery, charming hotels, and, of course, colorful characters! When not leading tours, you can find Leslie entertaining customers at pop-up wine tastings in the Bay Area, writing for Slow Wine Guide and Wine Tourist Magazine, getting lost someplace beautiful with her watercolor set and maybe even dancing tango! (Well, not right now #shelterinplace).