Of course, it is no fun not to be able to spend your vacation on the beach of your choice or in the mountains of the neighboring country. Corona has our lives under control in all areas, but it always depends on the perspective. Being limited to one’s own country or the surrounding region does not mean being locked up. It’s just a matter of the correct interpretation.
Why we love to travel
Long-distance travel gives us the feeling of turning our backs on everyday work for a certain time. The further away and the more foreign the destination, the greater the supposed distance we feel from our daily routine. Corona reduces our radius of action and paradoxically gives us the opportunity to find inner relaxation and distance from everyday life just “around the corner” – if we want to.
We relax on vacation because we are free from thoughts of everyday work. No time pressure, no unpleasant employees, no stereotypical workflows and finally free time that can be filled as you wish. Recovery is first and foremost something psychological. A different environment makes it easier to get out of the carousel of thoughts, but a spatial change is not absolutely necessary.
Rethinking and using nature in the home environment
Away from mass tourism, initiative is now needed. Either the nearby surroundings are declared the next destination or the visit to relatives and friends (if possible) is used to relax body and mind. Distance rules and a mask requirement in busy places ensure that everyone has to deal with themselves.
Hiking together becomes difficult when several households want to get together, as private gatherings are currently limited to five people. Between Christmas and New Year, this regulation will be extended to a maximum of ten people in the immediate family circle, with the exception of the state of Berlin. Hotels for a short break are closed and may only open over Christmas and even the small hunger in between can only be served with a snack from the supermarket.
The next vacation is sure to come!
Nevertheless – there are worse things. The situation ensures that we have to deal more with ourselves and deal with ourselves. The vacation as the highlight of the year is no longer necessary – what do we do together now? If necessary, travel plans for next year will be made. However, since we should assume that Corona will not be on the retreat until the middle of next year, the next vacation should not be planned where tourist centers or large holiday resorts are located.
If the temperatures get warmer again, you can start off on extended mountain bike tours in the Bavarian Forest. The Trans-Bayerwald (a state-funded joint project of the East Bavarian Tourism Association) provides a starter package for the almost 350-kilometre-long routes in order to be informed about all accommodation, local transport, restaurants and sights on the journey.
Can we travel abroad at the moment?
A holiday in another EU country is currently possible, but it comes with many conditions. Due to the pandemic, there are country-specific travel warnings that can be viewed on the Internet at the foreign offices of the respective countries. Quarantine regulations may apply when returning to Germany, but these also change at regular intervals. For the sake of health, it is therefore better to avoid a holiday abroad.
Calm down
Nevertheless, the travel situation does not look quite so bleak. Let us remember Goethe, who correctly recognized that you don’t have to go far to see beauty. Perhaps the city forest or the adjacent fields are not tourist attractions, fresh air and sunshine for the soul are also offered here and even free of charge. Perhaps this Corona situation is also the opportunity to listen more to one’s needs. Many leisure activities ensure that you constantly succumb to external stimuli or have to consciously switch off. This forced break allows us to pause for a moment, take a deep breath and examine our priorities. After all, we can pursue the following activities on our own:
- Jog
- Cycling
- Hikes
- Ice fishing when the waters are frozen
What’s interesting nearby?
If you live in a water-rich environment, you can plan day trips by car. Due to the different seasons, the landscapes always look different and provide visual variety. Dog owners can now make their animals happy with long walks and explore new paths through fields, forests and meadows.
If you live in the city, you don’t have to sit at home and be bored. There are many websites on the Internet where partners for outdoor activities are searched for and found. If you search on relevant websites, you may find a hiker, cycling enthusiast or runner in the immediate vicinity.
Things to do in Germany
The Internet is likely to be a sought-after partner for excursion destinations these days. If you are in the fortunate position of living in the immediate vicinity of special natural places, you should take a closer look at your surroundings. For example, there is a suspension rope bridge in the Hunsrück known as the “Geierlay“. This bridge has a length of 360 meters and hovers 100 meters above the ground. If you know Nepalese suspension rope bridges, you will get your money’s worth here. Since this attraction is located in the air and offers enough safety distance from other people, a trip to the bomb-proof Geierlay should be very interesting and instructive.
Open air is always possible
The museums are closed, but where there is a will, there is a way even in Corona times. In Berlin, there is an open-air exhibition in Ruschestraße (directly in front of the Stasi Museum) that takes up the theme of the fall of the Wall. Information from the peaceful revolution in 1989 and 1990 can be seen in the form of pictures, films and contemporary documents.
Even if our radius of action is limited at the moment, exercise, sport and fun are also available within our own four walls. If you like to be on the go, you have to do without companions, but you can take a closer look at places and landscapes that have been neglected so far. Beautiful things can be found everywhere, sometimes just around the corner.
