Since the pandemic hit us, the reality of having a date night while abroad, or even in your own town has become tough. Here are a few ideas to keep that romance and wanderlust alive.

 

1)  Buy an international cookbook & cook together. Cooking old school foreign recipes from around the world is such a fun activity to do together, and let's be honest- with two senses of smell & taste involved, you will surely transport yourself to another part of this world. You can definitely find various cookbooks specializing in types of cultural food. You could also go worldwide with; Cooking Light Global Kitchen cookbook if you aren't sure where you fancy a meal from.

 

2) Create a destination theme. This could go hand-in-hand with what you decided to cook, or it could be whatever you have in the house from a previous trip. You could get wall decor, clothing, accessories, table cloths, a translation book to try and speak the language- the possibilities are endless. If you're looking to stay local, try your local party shop, or amazon for destination-specific party items/decor.

 

3) Become international artists together. This one is fun! Grab a Paint-by-numbers kit from your local Michael's craft store. This kit comes with the tools you need to paint your own travel-themed destinations or icons. No painting experience necessary here, and not only will you get a nice painting to hang, but you also get quality time together. One of the popular romance kits is their Eiffel Tower.

 

4) Plan your next vacation. It might be hard to think of where you would even go right now with the travel restrictions, but the beauty is, this is just planning. Maybe you're bringing old photos out from past trips for ideas, or you're creating a bucket list for new ones. What is better than imagining where you want to go once the restrictions are gone, then planning it together. Let's be honest- we have the time right now, so I imagine you could plan a pretty stellar trip!

 

5) Watch a rom-com where they go abroad. Yes we know- this one is obvious. But what better way to finish a night after cooking your international meal together, than to seal the deal with some international romance? A few of our favourites are; P.S. I love you, Eat Pray Love, Midnight in Paris, Crazy Rich Asians, Before Sunrise. 

 

6) Build a scenery puzzle. Get that glass of wine, or cocktail out & get puzzling. A popular activity during lockdowns, the puzzle has been brought back. You can get travel-themed puzzles really in any location and in most stores that also carry books (think Indigo Chapters). I will mention though- most of the travel-themed puzzles are usually 1000 pieces, so this may be a couple of days in the works.

 

7) Get the Travelista Box. You may find these, or similar items mentioned above already packaged for you in a box right to your door. Open up a new destination or theme every 3 months & get your wanderlust on. The box comes with 5-8 travel lifestyle items & supports mainly small Canadian businesses and/or artisans. For more information, visit here, or to subscribe here.