A sudden and unexpected homestay, no matter the cause (injury, sickness, financial troubles, global emergency…), can really throw a wrench in our plans, not to mention our mental and physical health.
In these days of social distancing, we’ve turned to our BMT Community to find out how some of them are handling this collective mandate that has landed a lot of people within the four walls they may not be used to spending all that much time in.
The results are below – an entire list of activities that we could do at any time we feel anxious and stranded at home.
Most importantly, don’t forget to laugh.
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Get Outside! Fresh air is still here for you.
Open your windows, blast some music, sit on your patio, go for a walk/run/hike/bike ride…
“I’ve been longboarding around my neighborhood (and took my first spill today!) which is a nice way to get fresh air and be outside.” – Alicia B.
“Today we went for a hike. It was pretty quiet out. Trying to stay healthy with exercise and good nutrition.” – January H.
Grow Your Own Plants and Flowers
Get your hands dirty! Get your indoor plants or flower and vegetable gardens up and running.
“Plant a garden. Plant seeds. Get your garden ready and create a paradise in your yard!” – Paige P.
“Gardens! Grow food or flowers that remind you of your favorite places. Lots of work being focused on our back yard!” – Duane B.
Do House Projects
The sooner you do your home improvement projects (even if it’s just cleaning), the sooner you can enjoy the sweet rewards of your hard work in your own home. Home Depot awaits!
“Buy and install a bidet! Home improvement, less waste, and toilet paper shortage solved.” – Paige P.
“I’m actually spending time renovating my house, finally! It’s been in a rather unlivable state for a few months (no kitchen or bathroom!) but I’ve finally got time to dedicate to sorting it all out and making it a home!” – Suzannah S.
Volunteer or Donate
Volunteer your talents and skills for a good cause. Here are two things that BMT community members are doing. Please, share more opportunities in the comments!
“Write a letter/card and send it to a “mail-needing resident” at a nursing home. In the US, they are protecting them by prohibiting all visitors.” – Molly B.
“I recently joined an online volunteer program for knitting/crocheting nests for wildlife rehabs. Hopefully, I won’t get quarantined, but if I do I’ll be crocheting for baby squirrels!” – Ana L.
Visit Wildlife Rescue Nests if you’re interested in knitting or crocheting nests.
Find a Hobby, New or Old
Hobbies are the enjoyable buffers that keep you at a much-needed distance from your work responsibilities, current world events, or other stressors in your life. Dive into your own hobbies, find a new one or dust off the one still sitting in the corner.
“Bought a 1500-piece puzzle that reminds me of our hot air balloon adventure in Cappadocia, Turkey and plan to put it together with my kids.” – Suzy G.
“I have my guitar sitting here that I started teaching myself about 8 years ago. It might be time to dust it off!” – Mandy B.
Do a Little Bit of Everything!
Keep yourself sane and do a variety of activities every day, as these BMT Community members plan to do.
“I plan on some self-discovery! Yoga, hikes and doing lots of research for my next trip!” – Lea M.
“Knit, garden, paper crafting, maybe scrapbook my vacation pictures, read, make a fairy garden, paint, arrange flowers, make soap. Omg, I’m such a girl. Planning a Greek vacation for summer 2021!” – Cristy H.
Learn and Socialize Online
Online entertainment and learning options are innumerable at the moment. Let’s hear it for the world’s creative problem solvers! Here are just some of the opportunities I’ve seen so far:
- Listen to live virtual concerts, listed here by date and genre.
- Oceans Initiative is live-streaming a virtual marine biology camp on Facebook and Instagram on Mondays and Thursdays at 11 am PDT.
- Virtually explore Arches National Park, Badlands National Park, or other National Parks with Google Earth.
- MindBodyGreen is making virtual community classes available on Instagram Live and IGTV.
- Wanderful, a global network of female travelers, is just the place to chat with other travel obsessed ladies. Membership give you access to webinars, community discounts, and VIP benefits at future in-person events, and so much more.
- Take a virtual pasta making class with Nonna Nerina live from Italy.
- Take a virtual stroll through the halls of great art and science museums across the globe like the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy or the Natural History Museum in London, United Kingdom. Brought to you by Google Arts & Culture.
- Explore the world’s most iconic locations virtually in 3-D thanks to Open Heritage, also from Google Arts & Culture. Watch the video below to see how it works.
Plan For Future Travels
There is a big part of travel planning and preparation that needs to happen before you even leave home. Here are some things you can start now:
- Get an ATM card that waives any ATM fees worldwide
- Get yourself a backpack that fits
- Research travel insurance ahead of time
- Know your options for using your phone abroad
- Start learning a foreign language at home
- Learn how to save on flights, pack for any trip, get necessary immunizations and visas, organize your finances and accounts for international use, be travel safety-savvy, and much more, all from the comfort of your couch
Before we know it, we’ll be back on that road that calls to us, connecting with each other in all the beautiful corners of the planet. Don’t let your light go out in the middle of the tunnel, you’ve got this! And you’ve got the BMT Community for support if you need it.
What have we missed? What do YOU love to do when you have time on your hands at home?
By Brittany Quaglieri with help from the Budget-Minded Traveler Community
Ready to Book Your Trip?
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Use these BMT-approved travel resources to plan your best budget-friendly trip yet!
Flights – Learn our tried and true strategies for finding the cheapest flights.
Accommodations – Using Booking.com to search for hostels and budget hotels has many benefits, including free cancelation and member upgrades. Become a Trusted Housesitter to trade pet care for free accommodations worldwide.
Travel Insurance – Now more than ever, we need travel insurance for every trip we plan. Insurance protects you against cancellations, lost luggage, theft, injury, and illness. Compare plans at:
Activities – Find amazing things to do that won’t break the bank in destinations worldwide on Viator.
Need an international SIM card? We suggest pre-ordering from SimOptions.