Feeling wanderlust? Weekends are nice but nothing beats a long vacation to get into full relaxation and exploration mode. When you enjoy traveling, you’re itching to leave on the next trip soon after you return. You crave the opportunity to have a new adventure and explore a new city. Getting a break from work and daily life doesn’t hurt either!
But until you build up that PTO or bank account, it looks like you’ll be at home until the next trip. What do you do to curb the wanderlust a little?!
Here are 10 tips that can help feed your wanderlust until your next trip!
1. Take day trips and weekend trips.
Are there areas a few hours from your city you can explore? Living in Austin, the Hill Country is not far to go visit breweries or weekend trips to Fredericksburg, San Antonio, and Houston are also possibilities. Day trips to check out the barbecue in Lockhart or lake in New Braunfels are also on the to-do list. What are places within an hour to three hours near you?
See this post for more day trip and weekend trip suggestions!
2. Take a staycation.
What haven’t you seen in your city? In Austin, there are always new restaurants, art exhibits, and attractions to make a staycation feel like I’m discovering a new city. That’s one of the reasons why I did a staycation at a new, bustling area for my birthday last year. Also, staying at a hotel makes it feel like a vacation! (Check out this post for all the secrets to booking a hotel room.)
3. Read a book.
There are some great books out there that will take you on an adventure while you’re sitting on your couch. If you’re a nerd like me, I would also recommend picking up some guidebooks to spark interest for your next trip. Here are some favorite travel books:
- Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
- All Over the Place: Adventures in Travel, True Love, and Petty Theft by Geraldine DeRuiter
- What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding by Kristin Newman
4. Watch a movie or show.
Movies show you beautiful settings and great adventures. They might give you more wanderlust but they’ll also take you on a trip without leaving the house. Here are some favorite travel movies and shows:
- The Motorcycle Diaries
- The Darjeeling Limited
- The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
- Into the Wild
- Any of Anthony Bourdain’s shows
- Chef’s Table
5. Follow travel blogs.
Travel blogging boomed, thanks to adventurous souls. Travel bloggers usually have new posts weekly or you can read through their archives to plan your next trip. Here are some of the travel blogs I enjoy:
- The Blonde Abroad
- Hand Luggage Only
- Alex in Wanderland
- World of Wanderlust
- Pssst…I have lots of travel posts here too! Check out my destinations page.
6. Subscribe to travel websites.
Travel websites are a great wealth of inspiration also. You can also follow these sites on social to get updates in your feed.
7. Seek cultural activities in your city.
Sometimes simply experiencing something new and different can take you to another place. Dine at a restaurant of different cuisine. Join in at a food festival or cultural celebration like Lunar New Year. Take a cooking class or take a food tour. See visiting art exhibits or musical acts. Immerse yourself in a different culture, even for an hour or two.
In Austin, you can tackle lists like my ultimate Austin foodie bucket list.
8. Scroll through Instagram.
Instagram is where you can see current adventures others are having, and it’s fun to live vicariously through them. Most of the travel blogs and websites (tips number five and six above) will also have a daily feed of beautiful photos! Here are some Instagram accounts I enjoy following:
9. Prepare for your next trip.
Feed your wanderlust by getting everything ready to take your next trip. Plan out how you’ll pay for your trip. How long will it take to save funds? Can you take on a side hustle or save in other areas to get to your goal faster? Improve your health so that you’re physically and mentally in the best place to travel.
10. Research and plan a future trip.
Something that gets me excited is planning for future trips! I love doing research about future destinations and gathering information about the sights I’ll visit, restaurants I’ll dine at, and more. It also makes actually booking the trip easier. Having a real trip to look forward to can help curb the wanderlust! (Here’s a post about how I plan a trip.)
I know wanderlust can be a tough beast to tame, so hopefully these ideas help hold you over until your next adventure!
Have more suggestions? I’d love to hear them! How do you feed your wanderlust?
P.S. Want to read more travel posts? Check these out:
- How to Travel the World Like a Foodie
- The Pros and Cons of Solo Travel
- 10 Ways to Maximize Your Vacation Time
P.S.S. Want to know more about that gorgeous destination in the photo above? Check out this Thailand post.
Keep up with my travel posts and adventures. You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Bloglovin’. You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.
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