At the beginning of 2020, I had incredible travel plans. I was going to do Yosemite in March, Singapore and Bali in June, and Taipei in September.
Each trip was promising in a different way, with so many exciting experiences. Of course, I was disappointed when I had to cancel every single one of them, but considering the devastation of the virus, it was a small price to pay.
Nonetheless, it has been disappointing and somewhat soul destroying not being able to travel for so long. The small in-country trips in the meantime have been great, but I’ve been itching to get on a plane and fly overseas.
There’s no way of predicting exactly when things will go back to normal, and so instead I have started preparing to make the most of future trips when they do happen.
Here are some of the things you can do at home to prepare for international travel again.
Watch International TV
Can you believe that watching TV is actually one of the best ways to prepare for international travel? By watching TV series from the country you are visiting, you get an idea of where in the country you want to travel and what you can hope to see. But it goes far further than that.
When watching a series in a foreign language, you begin to pick up on that language. While I have learned a ton of Spanish swear words from Elité, there are ways to learn from watching series that are truly effective. You can check out this Lingopie review for an innovative idea. They provide thousands of episodes of TV in foreign languages, with interactive subtitles to help you learn.
By the time you have binge-watched a telenovela, for example, you will be closer than ever to speaking fluent Spanish. When you’ve watched Alice in Borderland, you will want to visit the famous Tokyo sights.
Learn How to Be an Eco-Friendly Traveler
One of the problems I’ve always had when traveling is trying to find the balance between seeing everything and respecting conservation. I always want to visit places that “tourists” haven’t ruined, but I’m also aware that I am one of those tourists in the process of ruining it!
Spend some time learning how to be a sustainable traveler in the places you plan on visiting. Check out which attractions already get too many visitors and are struggling to survive and decide whether it is really worth going there.
Sometimes, lesser-known attractions are far more interesting.
Also, be sure to find out which common tourist behaviors are harming the country. You can be ready to conserve water in a drought-stricken city or limit plastic usage in a city trying to cut down on disposable plastics.
Check Out Indie Musicians
Performers are struggling during the pandemic. This is especially true for indie musicians who make most of their money from live shows. When you next travel to another country, you can do your part in supporting some of those artists. Take the time now to check out some indie musicians from the country online.
Check out singer/songwriter Sam Chohfi, who filmed his latest music videos in India.
By the time you travel, you will be familiar with their discography and ready to spend money on a deserving artist whose show you will love.
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