Traveling the world has many benefits.
As you travel, you
expand your mind through other cultures and languages. You challenge
your brain with new maps of strange and wonderful places. You meet
people with different outlooks on life while exploring history and
archeology. It may not be relaxing, per se, but it is very good for
your mental health.But what if you can't travel?
Maybe you have
medical issues which prevent you traveling. Maybe the idea of
learning another language is too daunting. You might forgo travel to
prevent adding to environmental damage caused by tourism.
Governmental restrictions can create problems too. Fear of flying can
prevent some people traveling. Then there's the double-whammy of time
and money. Often, if you have money, you do not have the time; if you
have the time, you do not have the money.
Rather than giving
up on travel altogether, consider becoming a static globetrotter.
Less demeaning than the term “armchair tourist” which has a very
lazy connotation, the static globetrotter can actively “travel”
from the confines of one's own home and/or community.
There are many ways of pursuing this travel.
You might not be
able to afford to go to China or Mexico, but here are some things you
can do:
*
Take a Google Maps tour
through parts of both Mexico
and China.
* Read books or watch TV programs about these countries.
* Research the culture using Wikipedia or other websites.
* Watch foreign films from your destination country.
*
Participate in local
cultural events like the
Chinese New Year or Cinco de Mayo.
* Prepare cultural foods.
* Learn a little bit of the language – even if it's as simple as
the types of food you eat.
* Collect images of your virtual destination for your screensaver or
desktop background.
* Watch YouTube videos about your destination.
* Learn about the sites to see in your destination.
* Plan for your “trip” - even if you are unlikely to ever get to
go.
* Find out what it would be like to live there – after all, you
will (hopefully) get to retire one day.
* Use social media to find friends in your destination.
Be positive.
Give yourself
permission to have a static vacation where you immerse yourself in
everything you can gather about your destination. After all, just
focusing on another place is enough to get you a break from the
humdrum of your daily life.
Don't be ashamed of
the fact that you are confined to static tourism. Instead, use it as
an opportunity. You can experience more different countries and
cultures this way than you are ever likely to manage by any paid
vacation.
Becoming a static
globetrotter does not mean you are stuck to your armchair. It just
means you are embracing a new way to see the world!
As I develop this blog, I intend to take you on a journey around the world.
I will start with an
area where I both traveled and lived – Great Britain.
