Missing Long Haul Travel?
Here are Three Great Ideas for Making Day Trips Inspiring

The Dutch have a peculiar practice called uitwaaien. No special training is needed but it calls for a good dose of courage. It involves brisk physical activity such as walking or running, against the full force of the weather.

Unlike a leisurely walk on a sunny day, uitwaaien is like a jolt to the system. The aim is to step outside your comfort zone and embrace all that nature has to offer. It helps to strike a balance between our inner and outer worlds.

Wherever you may be, there are plenty of opportunities to recreate the perfect uitwaaien experience. Warm clothing, a light backpack and good walking shoes are the only requirements. The coast, lakes or any landscape which lies exposed to big gusts of wind are ideal. Preferably, sparsely populated with mile-upon-mile of uninterrupted scenery. As much as uitwaaien is a physical experience, it’s also about leaving behind the things that define us at home and to look mother nature in the face.

Shinrin-yoku or forest bathing is the perfect antidote to stress we may have incurred from endless virtual meetings, online workouts and TV marathons. It is a Japanese therapy that reconnects people with the healing power of the forest.

As the name suggests, forest-bathing is best performed in the forest; however, it can also be done while walking in any natural environment. It is recommended that you slow walking down to a quarter of your usual pace to consciously connect with the environment around you.

The idea is to fully engage all your senses. To feel the heaviness of the air, see the density of the vegetation. Listen to the cracking of twigs underfoot and the chirps and trills of wildlife.

​​​​​​​This intense attentiveness not only soothes the stresses we sustain from everyday life but cultivates curiosity and a deep appreciation for the wonders of the natural world.

One of the surprise outcomes of 2020 is that our local cities still have what it takes to enchant and entertain us, particularly now that they are free of tourists and traffic.

The best way to get to know your city is to wander its streets without motive or time pressure. The French have a term for this — flâneur or flâneuse. Taken from nineteenth-century French literary culture, it represents a person who makes wandering the streets an artform.

With most museums, theatres, restaurants and cafes closed, our engagement with the city shifts from an actor to an observer. We are invited to survey the exteriors of buildings which in the past we only viewed from inside. It’s a chance to search for secret courtyards we missed because we hurried past or to bask in the tourist meccas without the tourists.

To get the most out of your walk abandon your maps, trust your intuition and be rewarded with unexpected discoveries along the way.

Forest, coast, or city, travel is not so much about the destination as it is the joy of doing or seeing something different. So even if you are missing the buzz of long haul travel, we encourage you to pack your backpack with an open mind — new adventures won’t be hard to find.