So in recent months, I have been traveling around the world (not literally, that's banned). What I am learning is that there are many ways to travel without leaving your home. There's the obvious, television, movies (although I think those two are the same?) and the internet. Let's think about a few different ways.
Often times people will wait, savor and sometimes pine away for that vacation to get away from it all but, what if you didn't have to or as is the case right now, couldn't. What do you do? As you know by now we have made one trip down to the Keys (masks included) and really enjoyed parts of it. What we have also done is brought a bit of those favorite vacation spots home. I started realizing on our last trip what drew me there in the first place and realized that if I made a few adjustments to my own space it would feel more like I am in the Keys.
How did I do this you may ask? I started with a bit of color on the walls using paint and then overlaid with some of my favorite art I picked up through my trips. You can also buy inexpensive pieces online through Etsy or other sites. I rearranged furniture to make it feel more resort-like. Then I coerced my husband and my daughter into gardening with me (did you know you can buy plants online?). We are slowly creating a different world outside our window through plants. This also allows your mind to roam free when you change what you see. I didn't understand this when I lived in Chicago (I wish I had).
If you go into our backyard it is slowly becoming that wild, tropical vibe that you feel down in the Keys. If you look out our front window you see Ireland in the shaded spots with lots of ferns and a few native species we have added. On our east side, we are slowly working towards an English garden that reeks of Gardener's World (although truthfully I think my whole design is inspired by that show some days).
The truth is that through this medium (even without extensive knowledge of gardening or plants) I am changing the narrative. My neighbors love it because it mentally transports them away from an urban setting, the wildlife loves it (we even have a raccoon who visits that we named Charlie), and we love it. It resets the mind and breaks us free from the psychological isolation that we feel.
Another way to travel without leaving your home (though less sustainable) is you can order Scotland or Ireland or many other countries in a box. There are several services offering you curated collections that honor different regions within different countries. A sampling I saw was one had different handmade products from a region in Ireland then there is the Wee Box that sends you popular yummies from Scotland. I have seen a fair trade service that offers products such as cloth and pottery all made in the Middle East and it benefits women. I will admit that one of my personal favorites is the spirits services (you do have to know your laws) as I mentioned in a previous post. And then the best one, in my opinion, an online service that creates a virtual dinner and gives you everything you need to set the vibe for dinner in another country.
I will give you an example, a few of my friends took part in a virtual dinner hosted by AWOM Lab (you can find them on IG). Each received a box with ingredients, products to create the ambiance (think candles, textiles, glassware) and then they were encouraged to dress for the occasion before logging in to the virtual dining experience. This ties us together and when we are finally free to move about without restrictions or worry they will have a unique memory to share. It gives them a starting point as we all learn how to be comfortable with people in our space again. Because let's be real, by the time this is over we are all going to be a bit weirded out when we can finally see people without masks and without being six feet apart (although I have decided no one really gets this part).
This post I am sharing just a few snippets of my home (not something I normally do unless it is our whiskey collection). Hope you enjoy!
Here are links to a few of the accounts and sites I mentioned above.
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