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Being a freelancer, I could easily work from any part of the world. All I needed was a good internet and phone connection. \u201cThat\u2019s it, 2020 is my year of travel\u201d, I said brimming with happiness. And then COVID happened :(. I love to travel but I don\u2019t want to risk my life for it. And since, I don\u2019t own a vehicle or know driving – road trips are out of the picture. This really sucks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After small episodes of self-pity and whining, I decided to confront the challenge without getting emotional. And Boom!! I came up with my travel hack. Are you ready for it??<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Watching good travel documentaries and cooking delectable local cuisines. It might come across as a no-brainer or really silly but to me it’s the next best thing to travel given the current constraints. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to a 2010 psychological study published in the journal Applied Research in Quality of Life, just planning or anticipating your trip can make you happier than actually taking it. Travelling to a new place fills you with new vivid life experiences that teleports you out of your everyday routine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Think about it, when you travel to a new city – you learn about the culture, history, people by visiting the top attractions, understanding the story behind it, eating local food, interacting with people, etc. It\u2019s these stories, the immersive and sensory experiences that create timeless memories and sticks. All of us long for something deeper. Something that reminds you of what it feels to be human. Storytelling is the tool that connects the dots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, now that you are intrigued, these are my top picks –<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Street Food Asia (Netflix)<\/a> – I can\u2019t praise this enough. It\u2019s a celebration of different street food dishes and traditions around Asia and a loving tribute to the exceptional street food chefs. The highlight of the show is the focus on the challenges and hardships they have endured, the devotion to their craft, hard work, persistence, and the zest to keep their traditions alive. I have a newfound respect for these superheroes. If you have time to watch just one show – pick this. Thank me later. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m currently watching Restaurants on the edge<\/a> – this is a series on a team of experts helping restaurants across the globe with the most amazing views to revamp their business. It\u2019s a culinary and destination virtual voyage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some of my other recommendations are – The calling<\/a>, I can you can<\/a> (Mount Everest Trek with Miland Soman), Mini Me<\/a> (Travel adventures of Mini Mathur with her 8-year-old daughter). If movies are more of your style then Karwaan, Be Wild, Into the wild would certainly be your friend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh and for the cooking part, most of these places had non-vegetarian delicacies and the magical local ingredients were not available online. So I restored to trying new dishes and it was fun and quite an experience (minus the kitchen mess and the piles of dirty dishes).<\/p>\n\n\n\n I hope this becomes your gateway to the unknown and brings a bit of the wanderlust to your doorsteps. Remember, We\u2019re all in this together!<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Maybe](\"http:\/\/ideaweb.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Street-Food-Asia.png\")
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/ideaweb.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Keep-calm-and-carry-on-scan-685x1024.jpg\" "\\"Keep")