24-hour guide to turn everyday life into special trip

Starting a day with Bali-style yoga is recommended as one of the ways of looking back on past travel memories and reviving a travel atmosphere. / Courtesy of Expedia

By Jun Ji-hye

People's thirst for travel has been on the rise as they have been unable to go abroad for fears of COVID-19 infections amid the prolonged pandemic.

In an effort to help people relieve this thirst and evoke vacation vibes in their daily life, global travel agency Expedia has proposed various methods to bring up past travel memories and revive a travel atmosphere.

The methods include wearing clothes bought on a trip, lighting exotic scented candles and cooking up memories through using the local cuisine from a past trip.

Trying these out on weekends could turn an ordinary day into a sentimental journey and create the positive mood of a real trip.

9 a.m. ― start your day with Bali-style yoga

People often open their eyes early in the morning at a travel destination without the aid of an alarm. They also get up early to see the sunrise or head out at dawn to taste the unique local breakfast menu.

For those who want to start their day as energetically as they would at a travel destination, an online Yoga class held on the green grasslands of Bali is recommended.

Boho Beautiful's YouTube channel, with 1.85 million subscribers, provides yoga videos set in a variety of destinations, allowing people to enjoy both yoga and beautiful natural scenery.

11 a.m. ― dress up in clothes bought on past trip

According to the Expedia Global Vacation Deprivation Report 2020, 48 percent of Korean travelers feel vacation vibes when they dress up in clothes they bought at a travel destination.

It is recommended to browse through your wardrobe for purchases from a local flea market, or get out a summer outfit from the last beach vacation.

If the weather permits, it would be also nice to take a stroll in the neighborhood with a camera, dressed up like in a past vacation, or choose unfamiliar streets to stumble across an unexpected feeling of delight.

1 p.m. ― taste local cuisine

For lunch, it is recommended to prepare a local meal from a favorite destination. Taste is an important factor in reviving special memories.

Local recipes and ingredients for cooking are easily available online.

According to the Expedia report, 39 percent of Korean travelers have actually tried cooking food they had at the past travel destination to look back on past travel memories.

3 p.m. ― enjoy the delicious scent of afternoon tea time

Lighting a candle with the scent of a destination could create a travel atmosphere. / Courtesy of Expedia

In the United Kingdom, afternoon tea is sometimes served in the late afternoon, along with simple snacks such as sandwiches and scones.

Local specialty teas and desserts from travel destinations are also good stimuli to get into a vacation state of mind.

Those who want to further create a travel atmosphere are encouraged to light a scented candle with the scent of a destination. This can induce a Proustian effect of triggering emotional travel memories through the sense of smell.

In fact, one in three Korean travelers said that they used scented items such as incense candles to remind them of a happy moment from their trips, according to the report.

5 p.m. ― pick out new future travel destination

Travel photos and videos could soothe the frustration of staying home as this helps people look back on travel memories of past trips or plans for their next trip to a new destination they are drawn to.

The report showed that half of Korean travelers surveyed enjoyed the process of planning a trip.

Whether it is a scenic train ride in Norway or exploring the natural wonders of the Iguazu Falls, entering the planning stage of a journey will bring about blissful anticipation.

7 p.m. ― relish European happy hour

Spanish tapas can be one of the perfect choices to relish a European happy hour. / Courtesy of Expedia

In northern Italy, there is a tradition called Aperitivo, a pre-meal drink to whet one's appetite.

It is recommended to pair signature cocktails like Spritz and various finger foods to make a meal out of it.

Spanish tapas are also perfect for light meals. Pinchos, a snack of small pieces of bread topped with olives and sausages, or Gambas al ajillo, a classic Spanish dish with shrimp and garlic sauce popular among Koreans, are simple and easy to make as recipes and ingredients can be easily found online.

10 p.m. ― nighttime listening for travel dreams

According to the report, 46 percent of Koreans tapped into happy travel memories through listening to music reminiscent of the destination.

It is recommended to lie down on a bed in the quiet of the night and focus solely on the sense of hearing.

People can listen to sounds of specific destinations such as the wind blowing in the forests of Finland, the waves crashing on the beaches of Greece and the vibrations of temple gongs in India.

The New York Times has also shared “13 Podcasts for Wandering Souls,” introducing famous destinations such as Monet's gardens in Giverny, France, and the Grand Canyon in the United States.

“At Expedia, we understand more than anyone how agonizing it can feel to be unable to travel abroad,” Ree Eun-joo, the communications manager for Expedia Korea, said.

“That is why we are proposing alternatives to tap into a travel mood in everyday life. We hope Koreans to be able to dream of future trips through these vacation top-ups, looking back on memories and trying out new cultural activities.”