One late night (or was it early morning) about a week ago I couldn’t sleep. Someone was having party in the apartment above mine and I could hear them too clearly. I was too stressed out and having too many thoughts in my mind. It was one of those nights when you go trough all your life decisions and regret half of them. It was one of those moments when you can’t decide what you want to do with your life and you can’t understand how doing decisions like this seems so easy for other people.
I was sipping tea, staring my maps and listening motivational videos. That’s something I have done lately a lot when I have no idea where my own life is going. And then between changing videos I somehow ended up doing another thing I have done lately. I opened skyscanner and searched cheap flights to anywhere.
I don’t know what was different this time. Maybe it was those screaming neighbors I could hear laughing too loudly and living too recklessly. Or maybe it was the inspirational voice speaking in my headphones and telling me to just do it. It may have also had something to do with all the international and exchange student talks my school has lately kept. And then again it may all be because of this blog.
I don’t know what was different this time but I bought the cheapest ticket to anywhere. To Gdanks, Poland and Stockholm, Sweden to be exact. Right now week later I am sitting in cruise ship writing this while a few older ladies sip coffee around me. Apparently Sweden trips aren’t that popular during winter and ice. Next week will be full of amazing solo adventures around Europe.
I do this literally every time. I end up booking my tickets without any proper planning. This same thing happened with my three months Japan trip and even with my recent London holiday. I just can’t keep myself from leaving and when I try it ends up like this. Flight tickets to foreigner country and surprised friends and family. And that’s my way of buying flight tickets and planning new adventures… With one small thought that grows to something bigger.
What about you? Do you ever do crazy stunts like this or do you prefer planning your trips properly beforehand?
Every now and then I may have a quiet few weeks from blogging when I don’t even answer any comments. I’m always sorry for that but it’s usually because of a terrible writing blog. I’m always having a lethal case of wanderlust.It’s endless longing to travel that gets even worse when there aren’t any sure travel plans waiting for me.
Wanderlust A strong desire to travel and wander around the world. Longing to see new places and experience new things.
When I was thinking the subject for today’s post one idea stuck out of everything else. How to survive wanderlust and longing to travel if you are in a life situation where you have no way of traveling anywhere. If you have been reading my blog for some time now you may know that even I have had life situations without any means or money to travel
I am sorry to inform you that there is no cure for wanderlust but you can always try to ease the symptoms. These next tips are something I keep doing when a bad case of wanderlust tries to take over my mind. I know there are many people reading my blog who can identify with me. Some of you may be in school or work, maybe you don’t have the money or you just are too shy to even try yet. Whatever the reason is I hope you find help with these tips.
One of the best and easiest ways to help your wanderlust is to plan the trips you are surely going to make when you can travel again. Choose new destinations and add them to your bucket list. I have always believed that imagination is the strongest weapon human can have so why shouldn’t we use it? Daydream. That is my biggest secret of surviving the lethal case of wanderlust.
Make lists. List all the places you want to visit. Beautiful beaches you have to see one day. Interesting festivals, tourist attractions that seem overrated but are still must see things for you and secret spots that are often not talked about. Plan your trips to all those places. Good thing is that there is always new trips you can plan. There is an endless amount of cities, places, and experiences to plan and dream about.
Virtual Travel
I could get lost for hours doing virtual traveling around the world. I use Map Crunchbut normal google maps street view is as good for this. Basically, you go to random place in street view and start wandering around without looking the map. I got hooked with this “fake traveling” when at one point people on the internet started playing a game where you went to a random spot of the world on street view and kept wandering around blindly until you found airport.
You never know where in the world you will end up going. And when you find something interesting you can always add it to your bucket list. My favorite places to see are Eiffel Tower, small streets around the world (especially in China), Japanese shrines and Iceland’s raw nature.
International Friends
Surprising but effective way of beating your wanderlust is to find friends from different parts of this world. Even better if those friends are as interested about travelling as you are. Getting to know new cultures through your new friends is almost as good as travelling and it prepares you for the future trips.
I have learnt so many new things just talking with people from countries I haven’t visited before. I have got new friends because of blogging but also from my school’s exchange student programs and from old trips I have made. I never stop wondering how there can be so many different countries and cultures in this world.
Read Books, Watch Movies
I have always been that bookworm girl who would rather spend evening reading a good book than going out. Maybe that’s why for me the best way to escape has always been by reading. There are millions of stories about travelling. Movies, TV-series and books. Some of my favorites are:
Cheryl Strayed: Wild(Book & Movie)
Under The Tuscan Sun(Movie)
The Bucket List(Movie)
Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders(TV-series)
Elizabeth Gilbert: Eat, Pray, Love(Book)
Lost in Translation (Movie)
Tracks (Movie)
Hometown Travel
I would bet that there are places you have never been before close to your home. Or even the places where you have been before may seem different if you look them from the traveler’s point of view. If you can’t leave for longer trip do something new close by. Maybe you can do weekend hiking trip? Or visit your city’s tourist information and play tourist for a day in your own city?
Google what other travelers have to say about your hometown. You may find tips and places you have not paid attention to before. Keep in mind that for some people your city seems as interesting as all those travel destinations you want to visit in the future. With open mind and a little bit of imagination, you can travel without leaving your own street or block.
Read Travel Blogs
Finally my last tip is to read blogs and get that travel feeling from the trips others have done. Find you favorite bloggers and follow them on their adventures around the world. Internet is full of travel bloggers so this is probably the easiest way of easing one’s wanderlust. If reading isn’t your thing find travel Youtubers to follow. There are some amazingly beautiful videos that will leave you in state of wonder and bliss. Won’t care your wanderlust but it will make it easier to deal with.
I hope these tips will help you. Just remember to be careful. Maybe I should have started with the mention that all these tips may cause even worse wanderlust than you already have… There is no way out of having the disease called wanderlust if we don’t count travelling. I hope safe travels for you all and fun times trying to cope with the want of travelling!
So, how do you survive from wanderlust if you can’t travel? All good tips or other comments are always welcome.
I am addicted to quotes. What would be better way of using my love for quotes than sharing my favorites with you? So here is 10 travel quotes to awake your wanderlust.
1.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. DREAM. Discover.” – Mark Twain
2.
“Not all those who wander are lost.” – J.R.R. Tolkien
3.
“You get a strange feeling when you’re about to leave a place, like you’ll not only miss the people you love but you’ll miss the person you are now at this time and this place, because you’ll never be this way ever again.” – Azar Nafisi
4.
“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.” – Anonymous
5.
“Now more than ever do I realize that I will never be content with a sedentary life, that I will always be haunted by thoughts of a sun-drenched elsewhere.” – Isabelle Eberhardt
6.
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao Tzu
7.
“I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.” – Oscar Wilde
8.
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine
9.
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller
10.
“If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine, it is lethal.” – Paulo Coelho
So, what are your favorite travel quotes? I am always happy to find new inspiring or motivating quotes to help my wanderlust. Also sorry for this short not so good post. School is killing me slowly and painfully…
The year has started so it’s again time to do some planning. I did this same thing last year and it was fun to write but also popular post among you readers. So here is listed some travel destinations I hope to visit this year and other plans I have for the current year! (And like you can see from the last post probably even half of them are not going to happen…)
Travels
First and foremost I still have my free flights problems. I have enough Finnair flight point to fly any European country (or Dubai). Only problem is the timing because I can’t use the points on holidays. I haven’t yet decided the destination either so please feel free to suggest destinations.
I also would like to do a few shorter weekend trips between my school weeks. I was thinking about Umeå in Sweden because it is easy to access from my current city and maybe Stockholm because I get good cruise deals there all the time. But these are still on planning level so let’s see if I ever make them come true.
My summer plans are still in darkness but I should at least do one longer trip before autumn. I am part of scouts here in Finland (you know the children in American movies who sell cookies, go camping to forest and collect cool badges through different activities). And for Finnish scouts of my age we have this activity where we “have to” do trip to foreigner country. The idea is to experience something new, meet scouts from different countries and volunteer.
For autumn I haven’t planned anything yet because I just don’t know what I will do with my school then.
School
Right now school is that one big thing in my life. Just last week I spoke with my student counselor and got some good news. Starting from autumn I can be part of our school’s remote business program. That means only a few days school every month (and of course a lot of internet work). Of course I should find internship place soon but I’m not going to think that now. Just celebrating my coming remote school years!
Blogging
Some biggest news I have right now are concerning my blog. I think you will be as thrilled as I am because the Wanderlust Wednesdays are coming back! Some of you may remember me trying to write travel destination reviews every Wednesday. Now I am starting this series again but with a different idea.
Every Wednesday I am going to share more informative travel piece with you. This means city guides, destination reviews, travel tips and other posts helpful for travellers. I used to write texts like Top10 Tokyo and 13 Free Things In Montpellier. So I have been planning something like this. I can also share lists of destinations to add your bucket list.
However don’t worry! Saturdays are still going to be days for random personal travel posts like this one. Travel diaries, photo diaries, story times and travel rants are going to continue this normal schedule. So now there is going to be two posts every week!
Now when I have two post going out every week I can take more guests posters if anyone wants any more? (Contact me: viivi.severina@gmail.com) I’m kind of dreaming about this series where people would write about their own home countries and cities from the point of view of local. So if you would like to write for my blog and me to write for your blog (post exchange!) just send me a message. Let’s talk!
So what travel plans do you have for year 2017? Or do you have some cool blogging project coming soon? With love,
It’s the last day of year 2016 and I have decided to (totally not be original and) write summary of my travel year 2016.
This year has been eventful one for me. A lot of travelling, move to new city and starting studying again. Because everyone else is doing these year 2016 things I decided to gather together my own travel memories and best post from the present year (four hours till midnight!)
Missing Japan
My year started with being happy to be finally back at home but still missing my amazing three months in Japan. At this state of my mind I also started this blog! One of the best decisions of my year I think. Who said after travel blues can’t cause good things to happen.
Surprising Trip To France
The first trip of my year was to France! I was invited to spend two weeks in sunny Montpellier. I got to see the beautiful beach towns, old streets and kind French people.
End of my summer was full of university exams around Finland so I did more than a few trips around the country. Sometimes it’s good to explore your own home country and see what is has to offer. For example I visited Helsinki, Seitseminen National Park and moved to new city.
London Holiday
The biggest travel I did this autumn was to London. I got to visit Harry Potter attractions and see a lot of things I had seen when I was younger. Everything is in different point of view when you see it for the second, third or fourth time.
My Blogging Year 2016
When this year changes we also come closer to my blog’s first year’s end. I have written many different posts but here is some of the best/most popular ones:
So all in all I have had quite good year, right? A lot of travelling but I think my next year is going to be even more full of adventures. How has your year been? And how are you going to spend the coming year 2017?
My year started with being happy to be finally back at home but still missing my 
This year was also full of shorter cruises because my schedule was quite booked with the school. I did family 
Endless Path Ventures