If your partner, friend or roommate has been bitten by the travel bug with no trip in sight, here’s the perfect “just because” gift to lift their adventurous spirit from the comforts of home! This is a great gift for someone who’s Gift Language™ is Time Together or Experiences.
A travel from home gift allows you to take advantage of fun parts of traveling without the hassle of planes, trains, currency exchange, and expensive accommodation and cleaning fees. Here are some ideas to incorporate into your travel from home gift to full immerse yourselves for the day:
- Decorate your space to represent your travel destination
- Explore nearby markets to pick up some products and treats from your country of choice (i.e. Asian, Indian, European, African, or Middle Eastern markets)
- Research popular local cuisine and make your own from home
- Watch a film or listen to popular music from your country of choice
- Tour an online or even in person museum that represents your highlighted country
- Partake in a popular cultural activity (i.e. yoga, karaoke, pottery, basket weaving, etc.)
- Celebrate a cultural holiday or festival (i.e. Holi, Chinese New Year, Dia De Los Muertos, etc.)
- View live webcams or 360 degree views to explore different areas and regions
- Listen to a travel podcast or watch travel Youtube videos
- Plan a future trip to your destination and create a travel itinerary
Travel from home inspiration:
1. Mexico 🇲🇽
Photo sourced: Hugsi original photo
- Make homemade tortillas! Try this homemade flour tortilla recipe or this homemade corn torilla recipe.
- Take an in person or virtual salsa dancing class. Try this free basic salsa steps tutorial, this beginners salsa dancing tutorial, or even this intermediate salsa dancing tutorial if you’re more advanced
- Go to a local Mexican grocery store and pick out some new snacks and treats. I recommend Albortos, Takis, Gansitos, and Banderillas
- Visit the virtual Frida Kahlo Museum or another virtual Mexican museum
- Watch a popular Mexican movie, tv show, or listen to one of Mexico’s most popular music genres: banda, mariachi, norteño, and ranchera
- Grab a drink at a local Mexican restaurant. Try a margarita, michelada, paloma, Tecate, agua fresca, horchata or another traditional Mexican drink
- Host a taco night or hit up a local taco truck
2. Norway 🇳🇴
Photo sourced: Hugsi original photo
- Visit a local scandinavian market and pick out some treats. Don’t miss out on Freia’s Melkesjokolade (arguably the best milk chocolate bars ever!)Whip up some norwegian waffles called hjertevafler and don’t forget infamous brown cheese called Bronust
- Explore a virtual Oslo museum or two. In Seattle you can visit the National Nordic Museum in person
- Make some classic Norwegian fish soup
- Go for a hike or go skiing
- Go sweater shopping at your local thrift store and try to find a Dale sweater look-alike
- Enjoy a traditional Norwegian lunch of matpakke which is typically open faced sandwiches on fresh bread with various meats, cheeses, fillings and toppings
3. Iran 🇮🇷
Photo sourced: Hugsi original photo
- Check out a local Persian Market. The Eastside Seattle area has three great options: Oskoo Persian & Mediterranean Market, Sahand Persian Grocery, and Rose Market. Don’t forget fresh dates, they taste just like candy!For dessert, grab some saffron and rosewater ice cream called basanti or some halva which is a rich confection made in all types from pistachio, to sesame, peanut, chocolate and more.
- Get informed on some Iranian culture do’s and don'ts
- Watch a popular Iranian tv show like Tehran
- Explore Iran from above by watching this Youtube documentary: Iran from above - In the mountains
- Make homemade Iranian naan topped with yogurt, Kiri spreadable cheese, olives, feta and cucumbers
- Go to a local Persian restaurants to get kebabs, Persian steamed rice and dolmeh
Stay tuned for more travel from home gift ideas. The only question that remains is, what travel destination will you gift first?! Visit hugsi.com to never receive a bad gift again!
Happy Gifting!
- The Hugsi Team 🎁