Are you a traveler stuck at home? Use these tips to stay healthy and productive during your quarantine.
There’s no need to explain how strange and unprecedented of a time this is. If you’re reading this, you probably already know how important it is that we all do our best to avoid public places and STAY HOME.
I wasn’t planning to travel a lot in these days; with my massive bump corresponding to the third trimester and the 10 extra kilograms I’m carrying around, it’s not exactly the perfect time for me to go on some big adventures. I have written a detailed article about traveling while pregnant here.
Yet, I didn’t expect that we would ALL have to stay at home. I miss my walks, yoga classes, and weekend ventures into nature. Living outside my home country, I have also lost the opportunity to see my family. The Easter visit my parents had planned to visit me in Ingolstadt has of course been canceled. Thanks, Coronavirus!!!
In this post, I’ve rounded up some tips for staying healthy, having fun, and being extra productive even though we’re all stuck at home.
Table of Contents
01| Make your flat prettier with photographs
Nowadays most of our photographs never make it past digital format. Instead of just keeping them on your laptop, why not bring back some beautiful memories from past trips and make them a part of your everyday life?
Although most photography shops are closed now, many still allow you to print your own photos at “self-printing” machines. In Germany, I like to print mine at DM. It is fast, cheap, and quality is good.
02 | Create a photo book
Another way great way to use your nice travel pictures is to make a photo book. It could be for your own memories or as a gift for your partner, a family member, or a close friend.
There are various companies offering this service; you usually need to download a simple program to your computer, design your book, then send it in for printing.
If you want to make it really nice, it will likely take you several hours to create. I worked on my last one for over a week. But the end result was totally worth it. A photo book can be the kind of thing we like to keep coming back to over and over again to remember all those lovely moments.
TIP: Some photo books can be quite pricey, so make sure to keep an eye out for special discounts or sales.
03| Video chat with your (travel) friends
Living in Germany, calls and video chats are the most common way I keep in touch with my Czech friends (apart from being connected on social media). Once in a while, I also video chat with my best friend from the days when I was studying in Taiwan.
Staying home, you now have the perfect opportunity to get in touch with friends who live further away and perhaps are in a different time zone. Don’t wait any longer! Just send your friend a nice message and organize a catch-up! It’s always good to maintain good friendships in spite of the distance.
04 | Call your grandma/grandpa
Most families can’t meet at the moment, but luckily the good old telephone is working as good as ever before. Why not make some time to catch up with your family members?
Trust me, your granny will be very happy to hear some of your travel stories from around the world, even if your trip took place last year. My boyfriend even sent a letter to his grandmother last week; she was over the moon and replied to him on the same day!
05 | Become the next master chef
Trying out new recipes is a great way to pass the time. My boyfriend Mathias really appreciates this new hobby of mine!
Can you think of any meals you loved in your past travels? Once you think of one, go online and find a recipe to try to make it. If you don’t have the ingredients you need on hand (personally I try to only go shopping once per week), you can always accept the challenge of cooking with the ingredients that are available in your kitchen at the moment! Its takes some creativity, but it can be fun!
PS: If your cooking attempts don’t end up as good as expected, you can also order takeaway food for a local eatery. This has the added benefit of supporting local restaurants that are facing difficult times now.
06 | Learn a new language
Is there a new language that you have been wishing you could start learning? There are plenty of valuable resources online. You can use creative and free applications such as Duolinguo to start picking up some new vocabulary every day.
For me, a language that I’m always trying to work on is German. I already have a B2 certificate and do speak it on a daily basis. Still, learning a foreign language is an endeavor that never ends. What works for me is to surround myself with the language as much as possible. Every day, I try to read a magazine article or watch the local news on TV. No matter the language, the Corona news is all the same.
07 | Organize your photos
I don’t know about you, but I’m always saying I need more time to organize my photos. Taking so many pictures on each trip, I have really amassed an enormous archive of photos over time.
So let’s get on that, shall we?! Dedicate a little bit of this stay-at-home time to sorting through those pictures, removing duplicate pictures and finally getting your albums organized (and backed up if you haven’t done that already!)
08 | Stay fit at home
OK, so the gym is closed nowadays, yet there are all kinds of workouts you can do at home to stay in shape. If you are struggling to motivate yourself, fear not, as there are also plenty of apps, online resources, and channels providing you with all you need to do your favorite exercises at home.
Mathias is into running, which is one of the few sports that can still be done in Germany in these times (as long as you avoid getting close to other people).
Just a quick note: If you’re getting outdoors, make sure you’re doing so responsibly. Avoid public playgrounds, don’t use public restrooms unless absolutely necessary, and just remember the rules and importance of social distancing.
Fitness YouTube channels to check out:
- Sarah’s Day: Her 15-minute HIIT workouts are killer! Expect to break a sweat right away. Plus, they’re really short, so you get a good workout in a short amount of time.
- Tone it Up: Find a variety of different workouts depending on your mood. Plus the instructors, Karina and Katrina, have really positive vibes.
- Blogilates: This channel has tons of apartment-friendly workouts that won’t disturb your neighbors.
09 | Do Yoga & Meditation
Yoga is the only kind of exercise I have been doing these days at home. It’s really great for maintaining both your body and soul. Since I am pregnant, I have to be careful with some of the routines, so I follow YouTube videos focusing on the third trimester.
As for general yoga, you have a lot of choices on the Internet. Grab a towel or a yoga mat and put on 30 Days With Adriene on YouTube. The videos are for all levels, it’s free, and will make you feel really good.
10 | Go over your “travel funds“
Assuming you’ve traveled to numerous countries, you’ve probably brought back cash in at least a few different currencies. Now is a great time to take them out and decide what to do with them. Sure, you can keep the ones from places you are planning to go back to. What about others? Perhaps you could offer them via Facebook to others, or organize an exchange once we are all able to meet again?
11| Plan your future travels!
Last but not least, you can use your newfound time for creating some future travel plans. Revise your bucket list and read about destinations where would you like to go.
You can use some of my itineraries (here’s my Vietnam itinerary, Sri Lanka itinerary and Croatia road trip itinerary) to start planning these trips. Pinterest is another great resource, where you can search for your wished destinations and save the most interesting pins to your boards.
I hope these tips will inspire you to make the best of your quarantine time. I am curious to hear what YOUR ideas and tips for passing these difficult times are. Please let me know in the comments below!
Thanks for reading!
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Veronika Tomanova is the founder of award-winning solo female travel blog Veronika’s Adventure, featuring travel tips, guides and stories from around the world. She is from Czech Republic and has been to 30+ countries.