How to Travel During COVID-19? Digital Media & Online Communities are the answers
On November 17, 2019, the world’s first COVID case was reported, marking the beginning of a long isolation period. It has been a whole year since the pandemic hit. For most of us, that means a year of limited to zero traveling. Being in isolation for a prolonged period make us crave traveling now more than ever.
Yet, the pandemic and the risks associated with travel are still very much present. Is there any way we can take a trip without actually moving far away from home?
The answer is Yes, though it may look a bit different. With the power of digital media and technology, our space now transcend across borders even before covid-19, it just takes some conscious effort. To remind myself that there are still so much to see in the world, and to share with you for hopefully new ideas, here are some ways you can travel from home:
VIRTUAL TOURS
Social distancing has created the opportunity for virtual reality to thrive. Nowadays, you can go sightseeing through your computer screen by using Google’s collection of locations all over the world. There are art exhibitions, museums, theaters among others included. My personal recommendations are:
- Van Gogh Museum & Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France
- National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul, South Korea
- Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh, Scotland
- The Met in New York, the United States
Some great museums in the world also provide their visitors with virtual tours and online collection on their own website, such as The Lourve, Guggenheim Museum, The Met, Vatican Museum (where the Sistine Chapel is the highlight), and British Museum (completely user-friendly and charming layout).
If you are not a fan of 360-degree tours, just simply hop onto YouTube. There are a few channels about traveling and lifestyle that produce extremely high-quality videos, which will certainly not leave you disappointed:
- Expedia: providing travel guide to multiple cities in the world
- Jonna Jinton: an astonishing channel showcasing the Nordic beauty
- Timelab Pro: absolutely exquisite videos with great production that record the majesty of various cities from a high angle
- Watched Walker: as the name suggests, the channel owner walks around London and other cities recording their attractiveness
- Nomadic Ambiance: a peaceful and magnificent channel that captures wonderous sounds such as rainfall, thunderstorm, snowfall, and ocean waves while displaying astounding visuals. This channel is a feast for the eyes and the ears.
WATCH A TRAVEL SHOW
One activity that we do more frequently ever since the lockdown is watching Netflix. Aside from various heart-wrenching, thrilling, and hilarious series and movies, Netflix has some pretty wonderful and informative shows and documentaries about cuisines, travel, and the planet:
- Flavorful Origins
- Street Food Asia/Latin America
- Somebody Feed Phil
- Night On Earth
- Our Planet
- Secrets of Great British Castles
- Conan Without Borders
READ A BOOK
“The power of imagination created the illusion that my vision went much farther than the naked eye could actually see.” — Nelson Mandela
Imagination makes it possible to see the whole world inside our mind. We let our mind run wild and it can lead us to different places at the speed of light. Without graphic support, it is up to us to picture and visualize.
While digital tools can transport you to a place digitally, reading a book and using your imagination is still a powerful tool to create a mental adventure. The process of tracing words and building a different world inside your head takes time, especially compared to more visual formats like watching a video. However, reading books brings significant satisfaction as your imagination knows no boundary and the slower process allows you to immerse into another dimension. You can be lost in the wild forest, upon the highest mountain looking down, or on the sand looking out to the emerald blue ocean.
And yet, digital can help with book reading too! There are a few options that you can choose from to help you get into reading — and you just need to experiment a bit to choose which one you like. I recommend trying:
- Audio book: There are a few online audio book library. Audible is one of biggest archive at the moment and has a subscription fee. You can also try looking for less expensive, or Free options via: Internet Archive, Audio book podcast, YouTube, your local library, your university library if you are a student.
- EBook: This may not 100 percent replace the feeling of holding a physical book, but it comes with its perks — more flexibility, cheaper (sometimes) and easier to get access to, especially if you would like to try more international books. A few places to look into for e-book: Internet Archive, Open Library etc.
- Join a book community/ Follow Book Reviewer on YouTube (BookTube): Reading a book doesn’t need to be lonely. I myself was surprised by the sheer amount of positivity and support from following these communities with “internet strangers”. There are some unique elements in book lover communities — People are welcoming and go out of their ways to support you new books, give you tips on where to find free ones, and exchange discussions on the books you enjoy! Plus, the accountability element from having someone else in the journey help motivate you to keep reading on :)
Lastly, if you are craving some travel adventures, some of the books you can look into are:
- The Art of Travel by Alain de Botton
- Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
- Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer
- The Lonely City by Olivia Laing
- The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
- All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes by Maya Angelou
- The Year Of Living Danishly by Helen Russell
TRY A DIFFERENT CUISINE
I strongly believe in the idea that cuisine tasting is an essential part of getting to know a new culture. It is the food that helps us adore a country even more. If you are lucky enough to be living in a nation where restaurants are permitted to go back to business, do yourself a favor and have a meal that is not of your own country. Though, do not engulf the food. Instead, gently feel its texture and taste, and try to imagine what it would be like to eat the same food in its original country when the pandemic is over and we are allowed to travel again.
However, if going out for dinner is no longer an option for you, try cooking something new. Find the recipe for the one dish that you have been craving for so long but never once got to cook it yourself since it is too complicated and time-consuming. It will be a genuinely unique and memorable experience.
This list is in no way comprehensive, but hopefully it inspires you in some way to get more traveling, and enjoyment in your life, even if you are social distancing. We all wish for the world to be safe to travel soon, but until then, let’s stay home and stay safe. I wish you a 2021 full of interesting stories, either in virtual or physical sense of travel!
