For The Travel Buff: Ways You Can Beat The Stay-At-Home Blues

With this ailing economy, travelers didn't go far for their summer vacation or they just simply stayed home.

But then, staying home or close to home can give you the feeling or getting stuck. Here are some suggestions on how to beat the stay-at -home blues:

Host a travel-themed party

It could be an international foods potluck, a Hawaiian luau barbeque or a Mexican fiesta…for sure, hosting an event with an ethnic flare will get you in the travel mood. Get some international music and couple it with simple decorations and you've got a party to go. Alternatively, you can "borrow" a holiday or a festival from another country or culture. Maybe get an Asian friend who is willing to share some of her country's culture and tradition. It will be a teaching and learning experience for everyone.

Rent a travel film

Another idea for a travel-themed event is a movie night. Get films that focus on a particular country or rely on a setting such as Under the Tuscan Sun or Memoirs of a Geisha.

Read a travel book

Books are the easiest and the most delightful way to travel. Reading takes you to dreamland, allowing you to stand in awe of pyramids, temples and canyons. You really could get lost in a book, be in a coffee table book, a travelogue or even just a story set in a far away place.

Surf the web

Looking at other people's vacation photos could turn you green with envy. So use the internet instead. Browse sites that have panophotographies (360 degree photos that you can "move" with your mouse). Explore countries you would probably never get to see in person. Photos, videos and news about these sites can be gleaned from the UNESCO website for example.

Think outside of your comfort zone

The trick is to change your way of thinking: Do something out of the ordinary. Attend a new event, festival or concert which you passed by before, thinking it is not your taste. Try a new restaurant. Remember, part of the fun of travel is trying something new. All of these you can do, even at home.

Photo source Alaskan Dude