I took three “official” trips in 2020. All of them were short. The longest was 3 nights in the Apuseni Mountains. As I’m writing this, I’m sitting on the balcony of my accommodation here in Arieseni, overlooking the scenery you see above. No, that is not a photo from another country, nor is it photoshopped. That’s my view from my balcony. it looks crazy. And that’s how I feel.
Travel makes me feel crazy good. It’s like that one drug that’s good for me, although it causes addiction. I’ve been to nine countries in 2019 and about 11 in the two years before. I’m pretty addicted to jumping on a plane and just flying somewhere. I haven’t been on a plane in 8 months, which means my sanity levels are dangerously low. What should I do then?!
In this guide:
Go on a trip
The best way to stay sane during a pandemic when travel is shut down is to… well, travel! Not to Bali, Australia or Japan, no. Travel to wherever you can still travel. It’s almost certain that you can travel to your country somehow. If you can, if you’re not restrained to your home, go ahead and book yourself a little 3-night stay and that’s that. Look at my view right at this moment:
This is Arieseni, a small village in the heart of the Apuseni Mountains in Romania. This part of the country is simply spectacular. It has so much to offer, apart from the food and culture. It has easy, medium and some harder trails but, for the most of it, it’s simply like there’s a wallpaper at every single corner waiting to be snapped. This trip has given me my sanity back. For now.
Revisit previous trips
As mentioned above, I’ve been to more than 20 countries in the past 3-4 years. I’ve seen the pyramids of Egypt, listened to snake charmers raising cobras out of their buckets in Marrakech, seen Alladin and The Lion King live on the West End in London (and David Blaine!) and visited Italy from left to right and from North to South. I’m a lucky traveller, to say the least.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B55reN-pYow/
The best thing you can do now, as the world is still on a halt at least from a travel perspective is, revisit some of these trips that you’ve taken. Chances are, if you’re not into Instagram and their saved Stories, which are really helpful right now for us travel nostalgics, you’ve stored your photos somewhere on a drive. Go ahead and browse through them. It’s not much but it works!
Enjoy travel shows from now or the past
Luckily, there are still people who are travelling to many amazing places all over the world. Even more so, many of these people are travel vloggers. One example is Kara and Nate, a couple from Nashville who’s been to 100 countries, and Antarctica, before the pandemic. Now, they’ve bought a van and are touring the wonders of the United States. Their show, alongside Globe Trekker, has made it easier for me to deal with the lack of trips.
Get some inspiration from other travellers
Lauren Jullif is, like, my favourite travel blogger on Earth. She’s faced all of her really crippling fears and anxieties and travelled the world, writing about it on her blog, Never Ending Footsteps. Now she’s at home, obviously, but she’s still a great inspiration for me through her blog. I just love reading older articles on her blog because she’s honest and extremely funny.
Plan your next great trip
Finally, the best cure for avoiding insanity while not being able to travel, as a wanderlust, is to plan your next great trip. Someday, this whole pandemic will be over. I hope. When that happens, I want to be prepared to go to places I’ve always dreamed about. I want to experience the joy of travel with a great, big trip. That’s what I’m working on right now.
And it keeps me sane.
All photos are mine and should not be replicated without my permission. For more information and photos from this trip to the Apuseni Mountains of Romania, visit this link.
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Hi! My name is Gabriel, nice to meet you!
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