Manage your Wanderlust
Making the Most of Day Trips
Missing Long Haul Travel? Here are Three Great Ideas for Making Day Trips Inspiring
If, like many people, you’ve been feeling that your wings have been clipped by recent travel restrictions, let us inspire you with three ideas from around the globe for making day trips in your local area that bit more inspirational.
We are convinced that modest, less costly trips have the potential to be as revelatory and remarkable as the epic journeys we enjoyed in the past. For those yearning for adventure, the humble day trip has a lot to offer and when done with inventiveness, it can bring all the joys of travel to our lives without the need for long-haul travel.
Face the Elements
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.
Quality Time with Trees
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.
