How often do we crave visiting a far-off land while slogging at our work desk? Or simply visiting our home city and soaking in the aroma of mom’s food or listening to the familiar hubbub on the street below?
There’s an apt word for that sentiment — ‘Fernweh’, a German expression that literally translates to the pain/ache that comes from the longing to travel to distant places. A desire that is much stronger than wanderlust.
While COVID is past us (hopefully), there are still a myriad of reasons why you may not be able to travel when Fernweh hits you – weather conditions, financial constraints, no vacation days, or your kids’ school schedule.
Being an avid traveler, this ‘ache’ sounds familiar and over the years, I’ve found some tricks to keep my Fernweh at bay. Welcome to the world of vicarious travel – where you travel through your imagination or someone else’s experience. This kind of travel can build cultural curiosity, widen your worldview or even put that ‘never heard of country’ on your travel bucket list!
Join me on this exciting ride as I equip you with some ways to travel all year long, while sitting on your cozy couch.
Books
Some recent books I read have taken me ‘Around the World in 80 Trains’ by Monisha Rajesh, helped me learn a great deal about South Africa through Trevor Noah’s descriptive narration ‘Born a Crime’ and teleported me to the Japanese countryside through Hector Garcia’s Ichigo Ichie. Two of my favorite coffee table books that I flip through every time I feel the itch to travel are The Atlas of Beauty: Women of the World in 500 Portraits by Romanian photographer Mihaela Noroc and Stories: from my travels to every country in the World by Spanish traveler Alvaro Rojas.
OTT
Over-the-Top’ streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV, for instance are a treasure trove of movies and docuseries with a variety of genres. Movies like The Secret Life of Walter Mitty got me fascinated about the topography of Iceland, Seven Years in Tibet took me to the awe-inspiring landscape of Tibetian mountain villages, Eat Pray Love made me literally fall in love with Bali all over again while 100 Foot Journey transported me to the picturesque French hamlet. I recently watched the Netflix docuseries ‘Our Great National Parks’ and learnt a great deal about wildlife and natural reserves like the Decken’s sifaka lemurs of Madagascar, Guanacos of Chile and the Bull Lake glaciers of Yellowstone. Restaurants on the Edge, Raja Rasoi aur anya Kahaniyaan and Street Food are some fascinating series about creative makeovers of restaurants and cross-cultural migration that led to the evolution of Indian cuisine.
Blogs and vlogs
If you’re not a big reader, blogs are your jam. Short, crisp, and loaded with photos. Reading personal travel adventures is a fun way to get a glimpse of a land, its people, and culture. Dan Flying Solo, The Planet D, Atlas and Boots and Lexie Limitless are some recommended blogs. My all-time favorite YouTube video blogger (vlogger) would be Drew Binsky for his off-beat stories about people from around the world. From meeting the tallest humans on earth in South Sudan to visiting America’s most remote town with 24 hours of darkness; Drew’s adventures will leave you spellbound.
Podcasts
Podcasts make for promising workplace commute and meal prep companions. The Thoughtful Traveler Podcast is one of my favorites where the host interviews fellow travel addicts who share stories about talking to strangers, getting lost, benefits of slow travel among several other themes. Some other insightful yet fun podcasts are Armchair Explorer, Greetings from Somewhere, Abroad in Japan, The Travel Diaries and Not Lost.
Virtual tours
Ever wondered how you could experience historic structures and paintings by world-renowned artists from centuries ago from the comforts of your home? Many iconic museums like The British Museum in London, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, National Palace Museum in Taipei, Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, The Louvre in Paris, National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City and even Vatican City’s Sistine Chapel offer virtual tours. Excitement building up with every scroll and click, one could easily spend hours on these websites without having to drag your sore feet across a million halls and galleries!
While nothing quite beats the actual experience of interacting with locals on walking tours, sipping that cocoa in a quaint café in Baku, or strolling the the cobbled stones of Prague, let’s not underestimate the power of our imagination.
Wishing you happy and ‘safe’ travels. Beware, some of these are addictive!
