Travel plans may have been postponed, but that doesn’t mean you can’t explore a different culture from the comforts of your own home. We had multiple trips cancelled during this strange season, so we’ve decided to bring some of the romance of travel home. Here are a few ideas on how to create a travel inspired date night at home!
- Cook :: One of the things I love about traveling is that it pushes me outside of my comfort zone. From different cultural norms to different types of food. Go online and find a few recipes that are local to a specific destination- bonus points if you try something outside of your normal repertoire. Or go classic and try making gnocchi or pasta from scratch to explore Italy, tamales and tres leche to explore Mexico, or crepes, boeuf bourguignon and ratatouille to transport to France. And of course you must play that countries music in the background as you cook together! {And enjoy a local inspired cocktail or wine!}
- Go through photos together :: Reminisce by going through old travel photos together. You can even create a photobook on Shutterfly! We LOVE looking at old photos and when I had time, I used to make photobooks of each of our trips. Photos always spark such fond memories and get us laughing at unexpected mishaps that occurred along the way, favorite moments and so much more!
- Attend a virtual wine tasting course :: These have become extremely popular online. You can either choose one destination or do an around the world wine tasting course. Either way- wine tasting classes are always fun! Or just buy your own wines and do your own at home taste test!
- Visit a museum :: Many of the major museums are currently offering free virtual tours. Take this time to explore one of the museums you’ve always wanted to visit, but haven’t made it to yet {or just haven’t made it to recently}!
- Create a travel bucket list :: Sit down and actually write down all the places you want to go! They say you are 42% likely to achieve a goal if you write it down. So write down those locations and make them happen! You could later start a Pinterest board inspired by the places you want to go! Check out mine here!
- Create a DIY painting with a twist :: Pop open a bottle of wine {or drink of choice} and choose a destination you want to paint! There are hundreds of painting tutorials on YouTube, so you can either follow an instructor on there or choose a picture of a destination you’re dreaming of! You and your partner can either paint the same location or paint different ones! I would love to take a painting class in Provence one day!
- Movie night :: I love watching a movie or TV show that transports me to different destinations! You can watch anything from a classic to a documentary! Bonus points if you can also have an international snack that matches your location!
- Learn a dance :: Years ago when I was in Spain we learned a little bit about how to Flamenco dance. I STILL remember laughing so hard at the process. So whether it’s flamenco dancing in Spain, salsa dancing in Latin America, or the tango in Argentina- find a fun dance on YouTube and learn it. If you are anything like me- you will likely find both you and your partner laughing hysterically. I have zero rhythm, but love dancing- just have fun with it!
- At home spa :: Create an at home spa night together. Start with a location and choose scents that are local to that region. You could do coconut scented rubs and masks for a tropical theme, lemon scented for an Italian feel, lavender scent for Provence France and so much more. And don’t forget, some areas are known for certain style of massages {Thailand, Sweden, Bali, etc}. Get creative!
- Plan your next trip :: For me, the trip really begins the moment I start planning. I LOVE doing research for a trip. I want to find all the local favorite spots, hidden gems and all the must-do activities. I usually start by creating an excel sheet to organize all my find. Sit down and start planning your next trip- even if you don’t have dates in mind! I actually have a few ongoing excel sheets for destinations that are on my list, but aren’t yet scheduled. But I know one day I’ll be glad I started collecting suggestions! You can also follow me on Pinterest for more travel inspiration!
What else would you add to this list?
see other travel inspired posts here
on me
dress :: boots
on him
sweater :: pants :: boots
Photos by Anastasia Abramova-Guendel
Now this is what we all need right now. We are always stuck on things to do at home. What a fantastic list! will be trying some of these out!
Great ideas for what to do from home. I love planning travel too. I have a hard time getting into the virtual travel, but it always makes me happy to start doing research for future trips. It’s funny I did flamenco dancing in Spain too! It would be fun to do some dancing at home again.
Yes so true. We just cannot do anything about what did did not happen. We too are missing a month long trip which was to start in four days from now. And hence I am too back to planning for next year keeping the same destinations that we planned to visit this year by doing a little more of research. Add to that reading a lot of books that I had bought but not read and looking at pictures of our earlier trips and revisiting those places. And also praying that things get to normal soon and more people are spared from the trouble of getting the virus or losing their near and dear ones.
hi
loved the initial vision of this post, amazing it is for the vibes. I totally get the idea of planning for a trip and not knowing when it will happen. I use a diary to note down everything like how u use an excel sheet. In this, we have the data available whenever we are ready to take that trip. Loved the pointers that you suggested to be undertaken as a couple.
I think it is important to continue date nights even if you can’t travel. Cooking special meals always brings back travel for us. I love the idea of a virtual wine tasting. We have started to look at more travel videos together to start thinking about filling in our travel wish list. I wish we could learn to dance at home. But hubby needs a more pushy teacher than me or video!
what a great post! I am actually running off ideas what do to every night so this is very helpful ! Attend a virtual wine tasting course sounds interesting! My husband isn’t a big wine drinker but I am sure we can find something similar to interest him. I was thinking to get a puzzle so I would add this to a list :)
A wonderful list to inspire a little bit of wanderlust from home! I’ve been looking through old photos myself and enjoying virtual tours through these memories. Thanks for putting this together!
Humans are really amazing in coping. This pandemic has brought us to be more creative in our daily lives and I am continuously impressed with that I see on the Internet every day. I’ve been thinking if this will be our new normal but I hope it’s not! My partner and I both love to cook and we consider that bonding session over cooking as a date night. Thanks for sharing this post and keep safe! Xx
Awesome ideas to tame our wanderlust in these times! We recently discovered a murder mystery game that offers you new clues as you solve pieces of the case. It has been a blast and a nice break from Netflix binges.
Thank you for this very good site, really a mix of good and interesting ideas. Above all, keep it up. Good luck
cordially