The travel itch is something that almost anyone who’s been on a vacation is all to familiar with. Here’s the thing, you can’t travel all the time. Even if you’re lucky enough to be a digital nomad and self-employed, there’s going to be times when you have to sit back and earn a paycheque. You can’t always wander through ancient streets or hike through new landscapes.
The travel itch affects some more than others but everyone gets it at some point or another. I sound like I’m talking about a disease, maybe I am? For me, if I haven’t traveled in 3 or 4 months I start to go nuts. I get anxious and moody, just grumpy all around.
Ben can usually tell when this starts to happen so we make our best effort to make things happen. If we can’t plan a big trip we try and make sure we go away somewhere local. I’ll be honest, Toronto doesn’t have the most glamorous or exciting areas around to explore but I’m learning to love them.
Whether you are stuck in a cubicle in a job you hate or simply need a little break, everyone needs to satisfy their travel itch somehow. This year I’ve taken more trips than I ever have so it’s been pretty easy to satisfy my wanderlust (there’s no better way than planning your next trip) but when I’m not traveling or planning, I’m definitely relying on these ways to help me satisfy my travel itch.
Look through old photos
I find looking through old photos of past trips always helps me to overcome my travel itch (kinda). It reminds me of past visits and has me looking back at all the memories I’ve had. I’m lucky enough to have visited 31 countries (and counting) so I have plenty of spots to reminisce about.
Don’t just go through and scroll your past Instagram posts (although that’s a good idea), look through full albums. Start from the beginning and make your way through to the end for the full experience. I also find going through old Instagram stories or videos I’ve taken to be really helpful as well.
Plan your next trip
I have this weird obsession planning trips, it’s one of my favourite things to do. I find that always satisfies my travel itch because it helps me to look forward to something. You don’t have to be spending money and putting down deposits to do this either. Simply combing through airfares, looking at different hotels or tour options is the best.
I can’t tell you how many trips that I’ve planned in the past and never ended up taking. Just know for every trip we do end up taking, there are probably 5-6 itineraries I’ve planned as options before finalizing the trip we did take. Who knows you may end up just using that itinerary down the road. You may thank yourself for doing all of the background work while you had a chance.
Explore your own backyard
Ben and I always say that we really don’t take advantage of living in Toronto as much as we should. There are so many things to see and do here it’s easy to fill up a number of days doing them.
We also take trips to Niagara-on-the-lake or Prince Edward County most often to satisfy my travel itch. The areas are both within a 2 hour driving distance and are great places to spend a weekend. Even if you have very little money, there are always cool places to see close to home and they don’t have to cost you a ton of money.
One of the best ways to explore your own backyard is to find Airbnbs close to home. There are so many cool places that you’re bound to find somewhere unique and unforgettable to stay even for a night.
Watch YouTube videos or read blogs
What better way is there to escape than to feel like you’re somewhere else entirely? That’s part of the reason why I started this blog in the first place. Getting the chance to read all of those blogs and experience new corners of the Earth, I wanted to be able to do that for others as well.
Videos have started to grow in popularity on social media and it’s not hard to see why. While you can imagine being in one place through blogs, getting to see new places and areas is entirely different.
By the way: we started a Youtube channel!
