Whenever I have some spare time, my mind often wanders to travel. There are so many ways to get inspired for your next big trip – these are just some of my favourites:
1. Check out a globe
Spin the globe and see where your finger lands! Write a list of all the places you want to go. Learn the names of all the countries and oceans. Try and draw the map from memory – it’s harder than it sounds!

2. Hang maps around the apartment
If you’re like me, you will have a large collection of maps – city maps, country maps, world maps – why not display them all around your house or apartment? It will keep you inspired and create great conversations when people come to stay!

3. Read through old travel journals
I sometimes like to get out an old travel journal – from Europe, Southeast Asia or Australia – and relive my journeys. The words are always so fresh and raw, it feels like you could be back in the country!

4. Read travel novels, guides or blogs
Another favourite way of inspiring myself is through reading anything to do with travel – quite often I will pick up the nearest Lonely Planet, or read something set in another country. Some great novels include The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini), Eat Pray Love (Elizabeth Gilbert) and The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho). Blogs are also great to browse – there are so many travel blogs, you could keep reading forever!
5. Try out a jigsaw puzzle map
I was given this magnet jigsaw puzzle map for Christmas – it is great fun, especially because you can use your knowledge of the country to work out where everything goes more easily! Next, I will need to get one for the world!

6. Plan your next adventure!
Even if it seems like a long way off, sit down and plan your dream trip – plot the trip on a map, find your favourite activities in each place and factor in transport and seasons. Then, try and work out a timeline and a way to make it happen – it might be easier than you think!
Lovely post! I will always remember that beautiful world map you drew by hand and painted, with the lovely border as well! So clever! Planning your trip is half the fun of it all! I have so many unrealized travel plans in my past, but it was great fun planning it all!!!
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Definitely half the fun of a trip is planning it and I reckon we learn so much by planning that it is almost like you are living it! Thank you for reading 😊x
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Hey Jenny, these are great ideas. I can relate to just about all of them. In fact our loo downstairs is a “map room” where every wall is covered with maps of Australia and the world. Sometimes hub can be in there for ages. 🙂
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Amazing! I love map rooms – our apartment is mainly full of maps too! They provide hours of entertainment and spark so many new ideas 🙂 Thanks for reading x
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Lovely ideas. What about travel documentaries? They get me going too 🙂
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That’s another great idea to put on the list! What are some of your favourites? Watching anything set in a new country is always inspiring 🙂
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Documentaries made by BBC – they really make them so well. The art of storytelling is an important one, isn’t it? Paul Murton’s Grand Tours of Scotland, Michael Scott’s Sicily series, Tony Robinson’s Walk Through History…I could go on and on and you would ask me to get outa here 😉
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Thanks for the list! I will need to check some of these out! I love watching a lot of the history documentaries about Europe! Oh and food documentaries too! I agree, BBC are the best!
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Oh yes, I love watching food documentaries too. Of course they make you awfully hungry 😉 Have fun watching these. Cheers.
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For sure! And thanks 🙂 Have a great evening!
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You too 🙂
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Such great tips! Thanks for sharing this. The hardest part is buying the plane ticket. The rest is easy!
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Yeah, true! Once the ticket is booked, it becomes a reality! But sometimes it takes a while to get the savings together or the time 🙂
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Thank you 🙂 Glad to be an inspiration!
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Nice ideas! My next trip will be with a matress in the trunk of my car, my dog by my side and no plan at all. Curious what it will bring me
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That sounds exciting! Last year I spent three months living in a van and travelling up the coast – definitely something I would recommend! It was a lot of fun 🙂 Have a great trip!
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Incredible
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Thank you 🙂
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