21 Things you can do to experience traveling without leaving home

Not everyone has the means or the time to go traveling around the world like I do. Nonetheless, there are still some things you can do get some of the experiences of traveling. The biggest part of traveling is being out of your element. Doing things which you are not comfortable doing or which are not a normal part of your culture or daily routine. These things are a poor substitute, but can still give you a feel for what it is like to travel in foreign countries.

  1. Go visit a tourist attraction in your town you’ve never been to.
  2. Hang out at a hotel or local tourist attraction and strike up a conversation with someone not from your country.
  3. Do not listen, watch, or read any news from your own country for a week. Only get your news from foreign sources.
  4. Find a chat room online with people from a different country and talk to them for several hours. Help them practice their English.
  5. Go to an Indian restaurant and eat an entire meal without utensils.
  6. Take photos of your city where you live.
  7. Go for an extremely long walk. At least 5 hours. Try to do this with a camera.
  8. Pack a small bag with clothes and toiletries and live out of that bag for a week.
  9. Go to a bookstore or newsstand and buy a foreign newspaper or magazine.
  10. Learn about 10 phrases in a language you have never heard before.
  11. Pick an area of the world you know nothing about and learn about all the countries there.
  12. Go to a bank or currency exchange booth and get some money from some countries you’ve never been to. Carry this around in your wallet for a month.
  13. Watch a Bollywood or Nollywood movie. (India/Nigeria)
  14. Over the course of a week, eat a meal from countries from 5 different continents. Every every meal with the exact same person or by yourself.
  15. Go visit a house of worship for a religion you’ve never been in before.
  16. Go a day without using toilet paper. (oh yes. I’m quite serious)
  17. Go to a Thai/Schezwan/Mexican restaurant and order something with maximum spiciness. Try it even if you can’t eat it all.
  18. Visit a grocery store which caters to ethnic groups other than your own. Buy some sort of packaged snack food that you’ve never seen before. Also look for fruit you’ve never eaten before.
  19. Find a restaurant that serves parts of animals you do not normally eat (haggis, blood sausage, etc) and order that dish.
  20. Learn the rules of a sport you know nothing about. American Football or Baseball if you are not from North America. Cricket or Rugby if you are. Australian Rules Football for almost everyone else. Learn the difference between Rugby League and Rugby Union, or between the Canadian and American Football.
  21. Buy a t-shirt or other souvenir with the name of the city where you live.
  22. Vote for Everything-Everywhere.com for the 2009 Lonely Planet Travel Blog Awards for Best Travelogue….had to have something a bit self serving :)

12 thoughts on “21 Things you can do to experience traveling without leaving home”

  1. GREAT LIST! I’ve been feeling sorry for myself as I’m prevented from travelling right now – with 2 small kids and (thankfully) a job. You made me realize that I still have options. Thank you.

  2. great list! I found it just in time too! (having withdrawals from not traveling!) will do some items of the list this weekend!! ;)

  3. great to find this site. I do a lot of traveling my self just recently got back from morocco. but the best experience is to leave your home and get out there and enjoy it

  4. Gary, Congrats on the new blog design, it looks great! I am an avid follower of your site, and I think you are truly an inspiration. TerraCurve salutes you!

    -Joe

  5. That’s an exhaustive list and I can see that you have an affinity for India going by point 5 & 13.

  6. Fantastic list, I may try some of these this weekend! I love your website and an envious of your travels! Keep up the good work.

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