As I’m sure is true for a lot of people, I dream about traveling constantly. I don’t even care where it is, I always want to be experiencing a new place. But I also love being home and exploring the things around me, which is something I’ve learned to appreciate in a different way because of travel. While I can’t always be on a plane going somewhere new, I’ve learned that I can maintain a travel mindset everyday.
Looking at your everyday life with the beauty in which you see other places can be pretty transformative. Traveling is beautiful, but so is bringing that same sense of wonder into your everyday life – and your everyday life is so worthy of that. Here are my tips on how to live your everyday life with a travel mindset.
how to maintain a travel mindset everyday
look at everything with curious eyes
You know that feeling when you leave the airport upon arriving in a new city, and you’re on your way to your accommodation, and you almost have whiplash from looking at everything? Imagine what you’d see if you did that at home.
Next time you take a drive, pay attention to the scenery around you. Walk down side streets and new-to-you neighbourhoods. Be as curious about your city as a tourist visiting for the first time. What would you discover? Where would you wander? What would you want to enjoy?
explore at different times of day
When we go somewhere new, we want to experience it at all times of day. We want to see how it wakes up, how it spends its afternoon, how it finally closes its eyes to sleep. We adjust our everyday schedules to fully experience this new place.
What time of day do you miss in your own city? If you usually sleep in, try waking up with the sun one morning and going for a walk. Or, if you’re usually in bed early, try staying out as late as you can. How does your city wind down for the night? What new things did you discover in the early morning?
explore with your tastebuds
One of the best parts about traveling (in my opinion) is getting to explore the local cuisine!
Try cuisine from a different culture, or try cooking something you’ve eaten on a past trip. A simple lunch of chorizo and manchego cheese would remind me of an afternoon spent in Madrid after visiting the Prado Museum. An espresso in the afternoon sun would bring back memories of Italy. When Alex makes Onigiri at home, it reminds us of Japan and what we ate for breakfast each morning.
Don’t forget that food can take you on an adventure, too.
embrace your travel-self
When I’m traveling, I’m relaxed, I don’t fuss with my makeup, I walk everywhere, and I never think twice about eating dessert. I love my travel self, which is a slightly more relaxed version of my everyday self.
Think about who you are when you travel, and channel your travel-self in your every day life. Be curious and adventurous. Be content with a slow morning, enjoying baked goods for breakfast. Eat the cake.
How do you maintain a travel mindset when you’re not traveling? In what ways do you welcome adventure into your day?
What a lovely mindset..:) Finding the extraordinary in the ordinary.
You were in front of Hee’s place (Art Printing). This is where I print my fine art images..lol
The best print lab in town.
Thanks so much for reading, Moussa! It is a pretty transformative practice 🙂
Really?! I will have to stop in one day when it’s open!
Wonderful ideas and tips, Melissa! I am sure a lot of people don’t think of their own city or surroundings as a place to explore, whether at different times of the day or night! Well done!
Thanks so much for reading! 🙂 It really is fun to discover new-to-you spots in your city!