Ana Rebeca 3/21/20 Ana Rebeca 3/21/20

How to Experience Your Favorite Destinations Without Traveling

While we can’t (and shouldn’t) hop on a plane right now to catch the next flight off to our dream destination, we can still try to experience a little taste of our favorite destinations right here at home while we’re hunkered down. With these tips, you can literally bring a little piece of Rome, Santorini, Barcelona, Paris, London, or any other destination of your choosing right into the comfort of your home!

How to Experience Your Favorite Destinations Without Traveling

With most of the world practicing social distancing at the moment, the travel industry has come to a screeching halt. Chances are very high that you or someone you know has been affected in one way or another by this “new normal” that we are all experiencing right now.

How?

By bringing little pieces of the things that you love most about your favorite destinations right into your home! I’m talking food, music, movies—all the vibes!

That’s right! You can literally bring a little piece of Rome, Santorini, Barcelona, Paris, London, or any other destination of your choosing right into the comfort of your living room + kitchen. Set the vibe with a killer recipe. Put on some music to dance to while you’re cooking. Top is all off with a movie to enjoy while you’re eating your dinner! Voilà! Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing and cooking :)

Italy

Movie: Call Me By Your Name (2017)

Food: Spicy Sausage Rigatoni (pinchofyum.com) + Homemade Cannolis (selfproclaimedfoodie.com)

Music: “Roman Holiday: Traditional Songs of Italy” album via Spotify

Greece

Movie: Mamma Mia! (2008)

Food: Chicken Souvlaki With Lemon Rice (butterwithasideofbread.com) + Baklava (themediterraneandish.com)

Music: “Greek Music 2020” playlist via Spotify

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Spain

Movie: Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

Food: Spanish paella (spainonafork.com) + Spanish Flan (alsothecrumbsplease.com)

Music: “Spanish Guitar Chill Out” Artist via Spotify

France

Movie: Amélie (2001)

Food: BEEF BOURGUIGNON (tamingtwins.com) + Tarte Tatin (mysweetprecision.com)

Music: “French Cafe Lounge” Playlist Via Spotify

United Kingdom

Movie: Sherlock Holmes (2009)

Food: Beef Pasties (anediblemosaic.com) + Custard Tart (RockRecipes.com)

Music: “Ultimate British Pub Songs” Playlist via spotify

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What are some of your favorite destinations and ways that you can experience them without traveling? Comment below with more ideas from around the world!

Disclaimer: Some links listed are affiliate links, which comes at absolutely no cost to you. As an affiliate partner to such websites, including Amazon Associates, I earn from qualifying purchases. All opinions are my own.

How to Have a Self-care Staycation at Home

Having a staycation at home is an excellent way to incorporate that much-needed self-care we’re always desperately craving. With many people heading indoors right now, the best thing to do is to take care of yourself. Here are 10 stress-free, mostly-free ways to have a fabulous self-care staycation at home!

How to Have a Self-care Staycation at Home

As I’m writing this post, New York just banned public gatherings of 500 or more people. Broadway shows, the NBA, the NHL, Disney, and tons of other forms of entertainment have all been postponed, cancelled, or closed down until further notice because of the COVID-19 pandemic that has been sweeping the globe over the last few weeks. Travel is being restricted. Grocery stores are being emptied out. Schools are closing. Churches are closing. It’s a surreal time we are living in right now. I don’t think any of us saw this coming just a few weeks ago. I certainly never thought I would be writing a post that starts out with such a heavy energy like this.

I’m not going to lie… I’ve had my content calendar planned out for the last month and had tons of content queued up about travel tips to Africa, Greece, and other places abroad. However, I’ve been struggling to hit ‘Publish’ because something inside of me just felt off. My internal energy was off and it just didn’t feel right to push out travel content right now. With so many people not able to travel, scared to travel, or restricted in any way, I didn’t want to come off as tone deaf and ignore the situation at hand. So instead, I waited and waited for a sign to show up from my intuitive mind to guide me towards the right solution for me.

Like many of you, I’ve been closely monitoring the global Coronavirus news every day and trying my best to stay positive (this is only temporary, after all). I find this whole situation particularly jarring because, as I’m typing this, I was supposed to be sitting in my Airbnb in Catania, Sicily preparing to go to a travel conference this weekend. Obviously, that Italian adventure did not pan out, and I’ve been safe at home in New York for the last week trying to keep my mind occupied from going down a negative spiral of fear because of the current situation at hand. I’ve been trying to remind myself to look for the more positive or productive way of looking at things right now.

All of a sudden, an idea hit my meditative mind! For most of us who are practicing social distancing, self quarantine, working from home, or just precautionary measures by staying mostly at home during this time (yes, this includes us slightly introverted people who are using this as an excuse to not leave the house and socialize), it’s essentially like an extended staycation! And let’s be honest: we’ve all secretly wanted to have a week or two at home to just chill out, right?

So I’ve made the personal decision to drop the whole “this-is-how-we-all-die” mentality and adopt a more “I’m-gonna-self-care-the-shit-outta-myself-right-now” mentality. If you’re on board with me, then read on to find 10 ways you can have a fabulous self-care staycation at home!

1. Books, Movies, Games, Music, Shows

Now is the time to catch up on all of these things we’ve been wanting to read, watch, listen to, or play, people! I cannot count how many shows, movies, books, etc. I have on my list of things that I want to get around to but just don’t have the time. Having a staycation is the perfect time to get to these things. Make a music playlist that gets you dancing around your living room. Read some Harry Potter. Binge watch every movie on Disney+. Whatever it is, do something that will make you feel good! If you’re looking for a list of books that are in the self-improvement genre, check out some of my favorites here.

2. Pamper Yourself Like You’re at the Spa

Setting the entire ambiance for your at home pampering session is going to be the key to this tip. Think eucalyptus or lavender scents steaming through a diffuser; low lighting or candles going through the house; a serene, meditation playlist going through your speaker system. You get the vibe? Even cucumber infused water would do the trick here! It’s alllll about the vibe here. Create the mood within your home first and then follow up with some delicious treatments like bubble baths, face masks, mani/pedis… You get the idea.

3. Journal

Having some extended time at home could allow you a safe space to get some of the thoughts running through your mind out onto paper. Whether you want to journal random thoughts, get some manifesting scripting going, or simply write out a gratitude list, journaling is a great way to practice self-care in the comfort of your home. I personally like to get to this at least once a day in order to clear my mind. Try it out and let your mind wander!

4. Clean, Declutter, Reorganize, and Refresh Your Space

What better time to hit the refresh button on your home than now? It’s a great time to clean (and maybe disinfect), declutter, reorganize, and refresh your space! Maybe you’ve always wanted to move the sofa to the other side of the living room or color coordinate your eye shadow palettes. Well, now is the perfect time to get to those projects! Try starting with one project at a time like your closet, your bathroom beauty cabinet, or that pesky kitchen junk drawer that you hate thinking about. I like to go room by room and make a list so that I’m not overwhelmed right out of the gates. Go through your things, declutter the items you don’t want/need/use, donate or throw them away, and then freshen up the space by giving it a good, deep cleaning.

5. Create art

Use your time at home to create something special. Maybe you like to paint, draw, or make jewelry. Whatever makes your soul sing with joy, do more of it right now. It’s a beautiful time to get in touch with your creative side and it will help raise your overall wellbeing and vibration to bring more happiness into your life. Plus, you’ll have something beautiful to look at every day.

6. Get Physical

I’m not sure what the current mood is like where you live right now, but in New York, it has definitely been a little somber and quiet because no one really knows what is going to happen at the moment. I think getting out of our heads and into our bodies is a great way to get out of the mental funk some of us are feeling right now. If I’m being honest, I have spent almost every night of the last 2 weeks dancing to Bad Bunny’s YHLQMDLG in my living room and IDGAF who sees me through my windows. It’s making me move around and be happy for a minute. In addition to dancing around in my living room, I’ve also taken the time to do some workouts from home to get those endorphins pumping. My personal favorite workouts at home lately are barre, yoga, and HIIT. If you’re feeling the mental funk right now, try moving around and getting physical in the privacy of your home…whatever that might mean to you ;)

7. Meditate

Meditating is a great way to get in touch with your Higher Self and calm your mind from the craziness of the world. Take some time to meditate in whatever form feels most comfortable for you. It’s a great way to calm and release any stagnant energy that is floating around in your head. Pandemic or no pandemic, we could all benefit from meditating for a little bit every day. Same goes for washing your hands. Please do that, too.

8. Catch Up with Loved Ones

When was the last time you gave your loved ones a call to catch up? Pick up the phone to FaceTime or call someone you love just to tell them you love them. With so many people feeling uncertain and uneasy right now (maybe yourself included), it’s particularly important right now to feel the love and spread those high vibes. Catch up on those shows you’ve been watching, show off your newly organized linen closet, or just share some positive vibes. The world needs more of that right now.

9. Try a New or Old Recipe

If you’re staying home and not going out to eat, take advantage of this time by cooking up something delicious in the kitchen. Get creative by searching for fun recipes on Pinterest or cook up your favorite “feel good” dish. You’ve got nothing but time to experiment right now, so make something yummy!

10. Pick Up that Hobby Or Side Hustle You’ve been putting off for later

I saw a post on Instagram today that said “In 1665, the University of Cambridge temporarily closed due to the bubonic plague. Isaac Newton had to work from home, and he used this time to develop calculus and the theory of gravity.” Some of us have been given this time away from our normal routines and see it as a curse instead of a blessing. Remember that everything happens for you, not to you. Consider reframing your perspective around this time you’re spending at home and use it to pick up that hobby or side hustle you’ve always dreamed of doing but never quite put the time to it. Channel your inner Isaac Newton and get creative, dream, imagine, and build something that you’re absolutely crazy about. Who knows what could happen? You could look back on this time and be grateful that you were able to get that project going.

All of this being said, my hearts do go out to the people and families who have been affected by this virus. I hope healing vibes come to all of us as we navigate through this time together.

My intention with this post was to provide some light and energy to those of us who are feeling a bit down or grim about the current circumstances at hand. I truly believe everything will be OK in the end. Keep calm, wash your hands, enjoy your staycation at home, and do everything you can to keep your vibration up!