Don’t let the travel rut take hold: How to keep your traveller lifestyle alive between trips

But these months when travel isn’t on the docket can also be when a rut sets in. We get used to—and bored by—our routines and familiar settings. We can lose sight of travel goals. These times can feel so flat if you’re waiting for your next big trip to bring your spark back. But being an avid traveller is about more than boarding passes and big adventures, it’s a way of seeing the world, staying engaged, and being curious about what’s happening around you at any given moment. 

Stuck in a rut? We feel you. But the good thing is that you can make wanderlust part of your everyday life. The between-trip blues suck. Here’s how to beat them! 

Romanticize your life as it is

Cliche as it is, part of the reason why travel is so thrilling is because you’re actually in the moment. When you travel, you’re looking for the things that excite or move you. You plan your days around your wants, needs, preferences, and curiosity. The result? Days packed with beautiful views, time basking in the sunshine, and bursts of fresh flavour. Why not do that at home? 

Romanticizing your own life looks like following your desires the way you do on vacation. What might a visitor admire about your simple days? What might a tourist do in your home city? Plan the picnic. Go apple picking. Drink lemonade in the sunshine. Splurge at that boutique you’ve been wanting to shop at. Bike to the library. Eat lunch outside and away from the desk.

Keep fit

Active lifestyles aren’t made overnight but when you commit to staying fit, your trips become *so much* better. Whether your dream backpacking adventure consists of summiting a volcano in Guatemala, cycling through Italian countryside, or trekking through the Himalayas, a strong body is the vehicle that takes you there.

We’re not talking about punishing your body into being fit. (Suffering isn’t our style.) The point is that “training” is better when it’s a lifestyle and not crammed into the two weeks before your flight. Cycling, pilates, yoga, running, and hiking are all fun ways to keep yourself physically ready for the thrill of being on the road.

Have a list of destinations to visit… and talk about them

As the saying goes: Don’t let weeds grow around your dreams. That includes travel dreams. Where would you like to go? Is there a travel experience you really want to have in the future? You may be dreaming of train travel across Canada, exploring the flavours of Southeast Asia, or volunteering with animals in South America. Maybe you’re planning extended travel after graduation or during a break between jobs. 

You’ve got the dream and the way you keep it alive is by talking about it with friends, family, coworkers, or likeminded travellers. This makes it real. By chatting about your plans, you might also get recommendations, advice or a travel partner to accompany you along the way.

Watch travel documentaries

It doesn’t have to be all go, go, go. You can passively keep your traveller lifestyle alive too. Rainy days call for cozy blankets, tea, your favourite snack and travel documentaries. Your streaming services see your need for a life filled with wanderlust and adventures… even when an airport is nowhere in sight. 

Between documentaries on the life of travel icon Anthony Bourdain, the lighthearted episodes of Somebody Feed Phil, and the mouthwatering scenes in Street Food Asia and Latin America, you can totally get mini global experiences from your couch. If documentaries aren’t your thing, there’s always classics like Eat, Pray, Love and Under The Tuscan Sun.

Find a travel-related side hustle

What field do you work in and could there be a travel-oriented side hustle you can start? A lot of backpackers teach languages via online platforms both to fund their travels and meet students from around the world. Journalists, writers, or copywriters write for travel brands or publications (Like this one!). And, similarly, graphic or web designers might also look for clients in similar spaces. 

Starting a side hustle like any of these makes travel part of your everyday life, keeps you from slipping into a rut, and it puts a little extra in the bank for when you’re ready to book flights, tours, and hostel bunks. 

Plan approachable local trips

Some of the best trips are the ones you’ve been overlooking because they’re so close to home. But as we all know, dismissing local trips because “I can do that any time,” often turns into doing it never. Ever met an Australian backpacker who knows Banff and Whistler better than an East Coast Canadian? Exactly. 

We can’t always shell out for the trans Atlantic trip or get a PTO request approved to have enough time to truly experience Japan. That’s what road trips and domestic flights are for. Take advantage of Thanksgiving long weekend, the spare vacation days you haven’t used, and office shut downs during the holidays and go for it! The biggest perks of travelling locally are that you save on airfare and are less likely to get jet lag. Those are two good reasons to spoil yourself in with tours, restaurants, or private rooms for extra coziness.

Create a home you love returning to

There’s really nothing quite like an epic backpacking trip. With every hostel hopping adventure, you meet the coolest people, edit your worldview, and create memories you’ll look back on for decades. For a lot of us, travelling is the whole point—it’s what we work for, and what we live for. 

Once the dusty shoes come off though, and our stuffed (and stinky) backpacks hit the floor, it feels so nice to be home. Those first moments of being reacquainted with your space, loved ones, pet, bed, shower, and kitchen are just… unbeatable. That’s why creating a home you love returning to is part of the traveller lifestyle. We rough it on adventures and have thrilling experiences but in between, we rest up, and nest with creature comforts that we dream about on the return flight home.