Keeping an Adventurous Mindset during Quarantine
Being forced to stay home with no real end date in mind is hard. I often find myself feeling the urge to take off to a new city for the weekend or daydreaming about that vacation I’ve been planning. There’s a certain mindset that comes out when I’m traveling that I love. There’s something about being in a new city and trying to find your way around. It’s like a puzzle that has to be solved. The feeling can be addictive, and I’ve found myself wondering what it is about the “travel mindset” that’s got me antsy. Is it the desire to meet new people and explore new cultures? The need to learn and to grow?
So is this adventurous mindset limited only to times where I’m traveling? Can it be applicable to life in quarantine too? We started thinking about all the ways we can keep an adventurous mindset from the comfort of our couch.
Favorite Book:
The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner: Eric Weiner is a former foreign correspondent for NPR and a self-proclaimed grump. He trades stories of sadness and catastrophe to pursue the answer to a very interesting question. Why are some countries happier than others? Follow him through 10 countries who claim to be the happiest.
Favorite YouTube Channels:
- Kara & Nate: This dynamic duo has visited over 100 countries and all 7 continents while making YouTube videos along the way. It’s hard not to fall in love with their charming and hilarious personalities.
- Eamon & Bec: Join this couple as they travel around in their self-converted sprinter van. Although they are currently facing some of the questions around COVID-19 and border shutdowns, it’s fun to travel out of your four walls by watching their adventures.
Favorite Activities:
- Host a virtual game night: You may not be able to sit around a game board, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still have some fun with friends. We’ll be testing this one out this weekend, but pick some games that don’t require you be in person. Some of our suggestions are scattergories, drinking games or house party. Once you pick a game, hop on Skype together.
- Learn that language you’ve been putting off: Duolingo can be your new best friend. A free app that lets you speak, listen and write in any language and prompts you to use it for just a few minutes a day. Start from scratch on a new language or take a “placement test” to refresh a language you haven’t used in awhile.
- Keep daydreaming: Just because you’re stuck inside for this short term doesn’t mean there isn’t light at the end of the tunnel. Research places you want to go and make some plans for down the road. Make a list of all the things you want to do once you can leave your house again. For us, this includes activities around Indy or beginning to research for our East Asia trip.
New Mindset:
- Spend time reconnecting with old friends instead of just searching for new ones. It’s so easy to get caught up in your own world and forget to check in with friends. So use this slower pace of life to send a few texts, hop on a FaceTime or maybe even write a letter.
- If you do find yourself craving new relationships or meaningful conversations with people who have a similar passion, utilize the social media you scroll through every day. Lexa and I follow a lot of travel bloggers, but we often forget to really connect and engage with people who are passionate about the same things we are. Take a few moments to comment on that beautiful picture, ask a question or just strike up a conversation. Maybe you won’t find deep friendships this way, but it can be a great way to shake up your day.
It may feel like you just have to trudge through social distancing and just endure endless boredom, but if you put your adventurous mindset to work, it doesn’t have to be a drag. Try something new, reconnect with old friends, spend time doing the things you never have time to do. Don’t save all the learning and adventure for only the times your traveling. Let’s kick this quarantine’s butt and come out smarter, kinder and a little more grateful for the little things.
Find more ways to stay adventurous – check out how to travel virtually.
