There’s nothing better than going on a travel adventure. However, while it’s the sightseeing, food, and good times that’ll make the highlight reel, it’s not as if every aspect of an adventure is fun. There are other elements that are less exciting. If you have a long train or coach trip, or you have a long layover at the airport, then you might find yourself getting slightly bored.
But boredom and travel do not go together. In this post, we’ll run through some of the best ways to beat boredom while traveling.
Read a Book
Many of us take books with us when we go traveling. But the truth is that we’re often having too much fun to sit down and read them. If you only have a day or two in a destination, then you’d be better spending your time seeing all that it has to offer, rather than reading a book. However, when you have time to kill, a book can become very handy indeed. This is your chance to sink into whichever book you’ve brought with you guilt-free. After all, there’s nothing else to do!
Write in Your Journal
We strongly encourage taking your journal with you when you go traveling, for multiple reasons. For one thing, you’ll be spending a lot of time observing the world, and a journal is a great way to jot down your impressions and thoughts. They’re also handy when it comes to remembering your trip; the details will fade over time, but if you’ve written everything down, then you’ll always have something to jog your memory. Use your downtime to fill your pages — you won’t regret it.
Talk to Friends Back Home
They often say that traveling is a good way to escape everyday life. But also, everyday life isn’t so bad! You’ll have friends and family that you care about back home, and they’ll be going about their daily business as usual. When you have moments of downtime, look at talking to your friends and family and see what they’ve been up to; they’ll probably be eager to hear what you’ve been doing too. There are plenty of ways to stay in touch these days; you can video call, chat over WhatsApp, or have a good old-fashioned phone call.
Play a Game
It doesn’t matter where in the world you are: a quick game is always a tried-and-tested way to beat boredom. Of course, while you’re traveling you’ll be limited as to what you can play. You won’t have your gaming console with you! In this day and age, there are a lot of quality games you can play directly on your smartphone. You could play a pool game, try your hand at a puzzle game, or see what’s available in the app store. This approach is particularly recommended if you have a long wait since you’ll be having so much fun that the time passes by in next to no time.
Speak with a Stranger
Part of the joy of traveling the world is that we get to meet people who are so unlike ourselves. You’ll meet people from all walks of life when you’re out there exploring the globe! But you’ll only meet them if you open your mouth and say hi. If you have some time to kill, then consider striking up a conversation with the person next to you. If you’ve been learning the language, then it’ll give you a great opportunity to practice. Aside from just sharing a nice human moment, you may also learn about some underrated gems that you can add to your travel itinerary.
Daydream Out the Window
We think there’s a lot to be said for daydreaming. After all, it’s usually in our daydreams that we come up with the idea to travel in the first place. When we’re traveling, we’re usually too busy seeing sights or figuring out what’s going on to daydream. But when you have nowhere to be and nothing to do other than wait, then you’ll have the perfect opportunity to just let your mind wander. Look out into the crowd and see where your mind takes you. It’s one of those small luxuries that we should all be grateful for.
Listen to a Podcast
If you’ve grown bored of listening to music, then why not put your ears to good use by listening to a podcast? There are plenty out there! If you’re looking for something general, then you can choose from a podcast that’s all about comedy, interesting facts, true crime, or, well, whatever else. If you’d like to know about the place you’re visiting, then search for podcasts about the destination that you’re in. You’ll likely learn something that helps to take your trip to the next level. Alternatively, you could listen to a podcast that teaches you the local language.
Engage With Your Travel Partner
Now, you might think that you don’t need to engage with your travel partner. After all, you’ve been traveling with them! However, for the most part, you’ve probably been looking at attractions and otherwise looking out into the world. During your downtime, you’ll be able to look at each other. A long journey is a great opportunity to take a deep dive into your inner thoughts and feelings. If you’re traveling with your romantic partner, then consider asking the 36 questions that lead to love; even if you’re already in love, it’ll sink you in a little deeper.
Plan Ahead
It’s nice to go with the flow when you’re traveling. You should leave some space to improvise and do things that you learn about when you’re on the road. Well, during your downtime, you’ll have an opportunity to put it all into practice. Now’s the time to do some research and see what you should be doing once you eventually land at your destination. Just by taking some time to think, you might find that you can come up with something even more fun than what you currently have planned.
