Workaway life during lockdown

If you’ve told us last year that we’d, in fact, NOT be travelling, but in a lockdown and stuck at home because of a global pandemic, I doubt any of us would believe it… and yet here we are. As travellers, hosts and workawayers, this is undoubtedly a huge lifestyle shift, the one nice thing to remember though, is that we’re all in this together! So we are sharing a few tips on how we are staying inspired during self-isolation and social distancing, and ready for the next adventure for when the storm passes!

1. Treat yourself to a great travel book

Remember that paperback you grabbed from the airport but haven’t read past the first chapter cause you were out exploring? Well, now is the perfect time to dust it off the back of your shelf, crack it open and let it transport you into another world (where you’re not stuck at home)! There’re so many brilliant, wanderlust-inducing reads that can definitely keep your mind occupied. If you are not a huge reader, try listening! We are big fans of audiobooks and podcasts. What are some of the great books/ podcasts you’ve finally read?

2. Learn to speak the lingo

Take the first step of living your travel dream, by learning a new language! Learning a new language helps you understand and see the world differently. Especially when you are travelling off the beaten track, even just a bit of basic language skills could go a long way. You will be able to make deeper connections with locals when everything tides over and you’re ready to travel again. There’re loads of great resources available online for you to choose from. HelloTalk is one of our favourite language learning apps out there that let you connect and chat with a native speaker via text or audio messages – the perfect way to get some much-needed social interaction while practising your new language!

3. Reconnect with old friends

Just because we’re social distancing, doesn’t mean we have to completely disconnect from our loved ones – far from it! Ring up your family and the important people in your life more often, reach out to your old travel friends, and check up on those who are more vulnerable or severely affected by the pandemic. There are a lot of people around us who could use some extra love and gratitude to get through the hard times. Brighten up their days by spreading positivity and reminiscing over funny travel stories, photos of mountains hiked together or your fun Workaway project memories!

4. Let’s chat and pass the time

Let’s be real, even though we’re lucky to be healthy and safe during the pandemic, it kind of sucks that all of our travel plans have to be put on hold..! Sometimes all you need is just to vent it to someone who’s going through the same thing. And why not? Spark a new conversation with fellow Workawayers all around the world on our messaging system and start connecting! 

Exchange tips on how you’re dealing with the situation, daydream together over future travel plans… and maybe even find a buddy who can accompany you to your next Workaway trip!

5. Experiment, experiment and experiment!

We all have a lot of time on our hands right now, but we are also done being bored or scared. So let’s make good use of this lull to move forward. Treat your quarantine time like a life experiment by starting a new project you’ve always wanted to try your hands at.
Build a portfolio website, start an indoor herb garden, learn to play the guitar, bake some banana bread, keep a journal, organize your finances, create a vision board, research the places you’d like to go on your next trip, listen to some great music, dance, stretch, laugh, cry, meditate… Or organize your old travel photos and write to us to share your throwback adventures on social media! Tag us in your photos so that we can spread the wanderlust and travel together, virtually. The list is ENDLESS. 

Building inclusive communities

We know there’s so much uncertainty and panic to cope with. Although we might be physically separated from each other, with collective conscious effort of kindness, appreciation and compassion, we’ll get through this together! We've donated our net proceeds in April to a few frontline charities whose personnel are putting their lives at risk to protect us all. These include Doctors Without Borders /Médecins Sans Frontières, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and UNHCR (the UN Refugee Agency).

While you can continue to use the Workaway site to plan for the future, registered members with an active account will also have access to our live chats. So reach out to one of our support team members online who will help answer any questions, or DM us via our Instagram, Facebook or Twitter account about anything related to your travels or quarantine life, we’ll be sure to respond.

We leave you with this lovely quote that we recently stumbled across:

‘Try this perspective shift. Instead of seeing “social distancing” and travel bans as panic, try seeing them as acts of mass cooperation intended to protect the collective whole. The plan is not about individuals going into hiding. It’s a global deep breath… an agreement between humans around the planet to be still.’ — Dr Lindsay Jernigan

In the meantime, STAY SAFE everyone, and let’s take this opportunity to reset, reflect and reconnect! 🙃✨

For more information on how Workaway is dealing with Covid-19, please check out our page here.