6 ways to travel without your passport

ad ~ this post is sponsored by Desenio.

I don’t know about you but I absolutely can’t wait to travel again. The heat slapping you in the face as you step off the plane, duty free, the extra freckles, the joy of a foreign supermarket, that elite nap right before dinner. 

Mentally you’re right here with me aren’t you, crunching through a packet of Lays, sipping a Fanta lemon. Unfortunately, thanks to the pandemilovato international travel is a bit of a no go right now so I thought I’d put together a bit of travel inspo that doesn’t require a passport to keep us all going…

1.Cooking food from your fave countries – let’s taco bout it

As you all probably know by now I’m an excellently bad cook and I’ve worked out if I mess up badly enough Dem will come and salvage the wreckage, which normally turns out pretty well. I defo think the various lockdowns have made me more creative in the kitchen. I’ve made Thai dishes, homemade pizzas, Malaysian curries, sushi (when I say made sushi I burnt the rice, lost half of it down the sink and then we argued about it) but you know. And we won’t mention when I got my spices in a muddle resulting in cinnamon courgettes. Maybe don’t try that one at home!

2. Decorate your home with prints from your fave countries 

Having reminders of places that I love dotted around my home serves as a reminder that travel won’t be off the cards forever. I’m that person that, despite not smoking, has a collection of cute little matchboxes from my favourite restaurants. Hoarder Han at her finest. 

Recently I ordered a selection of wall art from Desenio which have a distinctly French feel. From summers spent boating around the South of France or winters on the slopes, France played a huge part in my childhood and I really miss that very first bite of a fresh pain au chocolat. Off I go again getting carried away with food. 

If you can’t go to Paris, bring Paris home instead. Here you can see the prints and frames I’ve chosen if you haven’t already spied them in the background of my incessant insta stories. Desenio also has a handy gallery wall tool which is super visual that helps with placement if, like me, you can’t make a decision to save your life.

Classic moi, I also bought the equivalent of double sided tape to affix them to the walls (adulting who) so it’s anyone’s guess if they stay in place, fingers and toes crossed they do…

3. Make the most of dog friendly staycations – it was me, I let the dogs out

One of the benefits of exploring the UK is the number of places that allow you to take your dog. You didn’t think you’d make it through an entire blog without me mentioning Bear did you! Surrey Hills was my latest staycay, which is relatively local (limiting car anxiety lol) but we probably wouldn’t have visited if international travel was possible. We stayed at Wotton House which is just about the most relaxing place ever. I haven’t been organised to document it all properly yet but I would definitely recommend a visit. 

Can confirm Bear thoroughly enjoyed herself and was especially pleased with herself after crashing a wedding reception – main character energy at all times. I’ve linked some other great UK stays and pooch friendly restaurants – if like me you can’t BEAR to leave your furry friend behind (pun intended). 

4.Lets’ go to the beach beach, lets go get away

Last summer we visited Hastings which is just gorgeous. Complete with secret beach, antique shops, and all the foodie options you can imagine, it makes for the perfect day trip in sunny months. Another fab UK beach that I’m keen to head back to ASAP Rocky is Camber Sands – warm sea and golden sands stretching for miles. The only thing I’d say with Camber Sands is pack a picnic or grab a pub lunch en route as the only snackable options I spied were burgers and chips. If anyone fancies a Camber Sands date soon HMU (preferably someone that can drive because I am a useless adult).

5. The world is your oyster (card) 

Be a tourist in your own city. When I lived in London I didn’t explore as much as I could have, probably because commuting and working in an office made me one angry bird. That and my aversion to people. But since we’ve moved away it’s made it much more appealing to pop back for a brunch, a wander up Bond Street or an exhibition. Also with everything starting to re-open I’m really looking forward to heading back into the city for a new restaurant opening at the end of the month.

6. Category is: themed nights

OK this one is a bit rogue and came to me whilst thinking about what the theme could be for our next get together. Previously we’ve had rose tasting, caterpillar dress up (following the Colin/Cuthbert debacle) and even a Christmas day in March complete with tree, secret santa & Christmas jumpers. But theming an event around a country just sounds fun: pick a country and everyone brings a dish and dresses in something to reflect that place. Add in some themed music and games et voila. 

To be completely candid, the next themed group event is sounding like it’s going to be a Britney Spears dress up but maybe the following one could be a sophisticated Spanish Soiree… 

For those that can’t wait for sandy toes and salty skin I’m hoping this served up a little bit of travel inspo for you. Where are you heading first when the travel ban is lifted? xo

ad ~ this post is sponsored by Desenio but opinions are my own.