Being stuck at home during 2020 was both a blessing and a curse. I cancelled trips to Minneapolis, Homer, Hatcher Pass, and Greece, but had the time to blog more and research future travel. An after school program, paint night, and professional development course for teachers that I was supposed to run were all cancelled, but I was able to save money like crazy staying at home and eating in. Teaching online was been a major shift and I missed interacting with colleagues, students, and friends. However, I was been able to take my dog for a walk almost everyday and have gotten to see way more of my home state than I normally would.
While not totally miserable about being home, I wasn’t necessarily thrilled about it either. My restless, adventurous soul struggles, big time, if I get stuck in a rut for too long. What better way to learn to love staycations, hm?
If you find yourself mourning canceled plans, limited by time and/or money, or stuck at home, here are a few things that I have found to help!
Exploring Local
During the spring of 2019 a friend and I wanted to do something fun for our birthdays. They are exactly a week apart in April and we are both teachers, so we didn’t have a whole lot of time off to work with. Even though we only had a weekend, we were determined for some adventure and headed to Fairbanks! We had a great time and fit so much in to our quick trip that it ended up being exactly what we needed.
Since then, I have made many trips to Fairbanks, doing something new each time I visit. When I was there during the fall of 2019, I spent an afternoon checking out the farmer’s market after a photography conference. One weekend in February the following year I explored downtown, stopping in at a new coffee shop and then going to get crepes. Another trip was spent visiting the ice sculptures and checking out HooDoo Brewing Company. I love going to First Fridays in Anchorage, and it was fun to check out the Fairbanks version.
Don’t get me wrong, I have my fall-back favorites just like anybody else, whether it’s in Anchorage or Fairbanks. I’ve been to Chena Hot Springs half a dozen times and love getting take-out from my favorite restaurants in Anchorage. You don’t have to recreate the wheel here, just let your interests guide you. But if you’re desperately, really and truly craving something new in your life, playing tourist in your own town can be surprisingly satisfying!
Travel-Inspired Dinners
Just because you’re stuck at home, that doesn’t mean you have to eat like it! While I was in Seattle during the summer of 2019, I took a cooking class. Towards the end of March, I recreated what I learned to make a dinner of traditional Chinese steam buns and pot stickers. Not only was the food delicious, but recreating a recipe I had learned while traveling gave me the opportunity to share a little bit about my trip to Seattle with friends.
A few other ideas include testing out new recipes or recreating one of your favorite meals from a trip together. When I was faced with canceled travel in March, I went and picked up some poke and Hawaiian beer to have dinner with a friend. We went to Kauai together during the fall of 2019, and it was a great way to revive a small part of our trip. I also had to cancel my trip to Greece this summer, and I’m currently working on perfecting a friend’s moose gyro recipe. Be brave! Even if you haven’t tried a recipe before, adding a little variety feels great.
Getting Outside
There’s always something new to be discovered in your city or town, from parks to restaurants. Just from choosing a different route each day, my dog and I found half a dozen new bike routes and trails within our own neighborhood, and we walk almost every day! I convinced a friend to check out Chena Lake Recreation Area, a place he literally drives by daily on his way home from work. We got takeout for a “picnic” dinner and had a great time exploring. By breaking out of routine in small ways here and there I have not only been discovering a lot of cool spots, but also started feeling better about not being able to travel!
Another one of my outings while visiting in Fairbanks included cross country skiing in the White Mountains. I packed a charcuterie lunch and had a blast! In the summer, the White Mountains have great hiking excursions, such as Wickersham Dome. I’m all about that new seasonal perspective and we have a whole list of trails, camping, and kayaking spots lined up for the summer- I can’t wait!
Road Trips
I love a good road trip, and they’re another great way to explore locally. Plus, no one says your road trip has to be a huge ordeal! After a picnic lunch and skiing trip to the White Mountains, I decided to drive a little bit further up the haul road just for funsies. I had never been north of Fairbanks, so I figured why not. The excursion to the White Mountains was incredible, and the views from that little extra drive made it that much sweeter!
If you are in the mood for a longer road trip, there still may be great things to check out relatively close to home. While planning for a road trip during the summer of 2017, my best friend and I realized that even though we grew up in Pennsylvania, we had never been to Gettysburg before. Although our ultimate destination was Nashville, it became clear as we were discussing our route there and back that we wanted to make some Pennsylvania stops too!
Hopefully you find some of these suggestions helpful the next time you are facing cancelled plans or are unable to travel, for whatever reason. If you’re not feeling up to a staycation, that is also totally understandable. It probably took me a good week (or more) to settle in to working from home and feel like I had regained my bearings enough to start considering plan B. If some low-key days at home to re-center are what you need instead, make sure to give yourself that time and space. Not being able to do the thing you love, whatever the reason, is hard. Here’s to making the best of it and the days when we can travel again!