I dream of traveling the world. Of being served the hottest cup of coffee on a plane than walking off to find myself in Paris or Rome or Australia. When I wake up I have an urge of wanderlust and head to my computer to book the next flight to someplace adventurous. Then I remember, I am a broke college student. I have no money, let alone enough time to be traveling across the world. Luckily, we live in such a diverse nation and can travel to the place of our dreams without actually leaving where we live. The destination you are craving could be minutes from your doorstep.
Here are some ways to find adventure, at home:
- Listen to music: Music can instantly transport you to a place you wish you were. If you wish you were at a tropical beach, soaking up the sun then blast some tunes by the Beach Boys.
- Read a book: Head on over to a used bookstore and go into the travel section. Flip through a couple books until you find the perfect one, then go read it in a nearby park.
- Visit your local café: Grab a croissant, some macaroons, and a latte and you will instantly be transported into the European city of your dreams. Don’t forget to bring a journal and pens to jot down ideas and embrace the coffee stains that make their way onto the pages.
- Try new food: Head on over to that tiny Greek hole in the wall you see every day, or an eccentric Thailand restaurant and try something new.
- Watch a foreign film: It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand it. Grab some cuisine from that nation and you will feel like you are in a totally different country.
- Get out and explore: Take an afternoon off and go wander around your city, who knows, you may come across a street that resembles the beautiful architecture in Rome, or a tiled street like you would see in Spain.
- Dress the part: Throw on a slip dress and beret if you wish you were strutting the streets of Paris, or if you wish you were on a tropical island, put on your favorite pair of hippie pants and a flower in your hair.
- Embrace the weather: If it is summer, call up your friends, slather some tanning oil on, and lay in the sun while blasting some tropical tunes. If it's snowing, bundle up and wander the streets with a friend. Share a warm bakery treat and pair of head phones with French tunes playing out of them and you will feel like you're walking the streets of Paris in the winter.
I hope you are able to cure your wanderlust with some of these tips and don't forget that no matter wherever you are, you can find beauty and adventure. Keep an open mind when head out to explore and you will, without a doubt, find your own paradise just a subway ride from your house.
