6 Ways to Escape… Without Leaving Your Home

A tropical vacation probably sounds pretty good right about now. The days are getting shorter, there’s a looooong winter season ahead, and frankly, you deserve a little break.

Unfortunately, impromptu tropical getaways simply aren’t in the cards for most of us. But that’s okay—with a little creativity, you can indulge in a mini escape without even leaving your home. Here are 6 ideas for satisfying your craving to escape.

A Day at the Spa
If you’re in desperate need of some rest and relaxation, try to replicate the feeling of a day spent at a resort spa. Start with some delicious-smelling bath products—coconut is always a hit, in our opinion. Next up: a long, luxurious bath (don’t forget to lather up with lotion afterwards to keep your skin hydrated). Follow with an indulgent facial mask and take it to the next level with a homemade manicure. Pick a polish in a fun shade, like turquoise or coral, for the ultimate exotic experience.

Passport to Paris
Just think about how incredible it would be to nibble on some cheese and baguette and sip some wine under a bridge somewhere in Paris. If this sounds like your idea of heaven, it’s time to get creative. Hit up the grocery store for some fine wine, bread, cheeses, and spreads. Next, push the furniture in your living room off to the side and spread out a big picnic blanket. Pop in a film set in France (you can’t go wrong with Amelie or Ratatouille) and get lost in the moment.

Build a Fort
If you’re like most people, you probably devoted hours constructing the perfect fort in your childhood days, then spent an entire afternoon living in what you thought was the coolest place on earth. Good news: there’s no age limit for forts. Invite a few friends over (tell them to bring their blankets) and get ready to build the biggest, baddest fort there ever was.

Go Camping
The best part about pitching a tent in your house is that you don’t have to worry about rain, wind, or the risk of it getting dark before everything is set up. There’s something totally novel about curling up in a sleeping bag and spending the night in a tent, even if your own bed is only a few feet away. Pop some s’mores in the oven—no, it’s not quite the same as a campfire, but they still taste amazing.

Get Cooking
Many would argue that the best part of traveling is the food. A killer recipe, a quick trip to the grocery store (or, even better, the specialty grocery store), and a few hours in the kitchen are all you need to trick your palate into thinking you’re somewhere far, far away from home. Pick a recipe from a favorite travel destination, or choose one from a place you’ve never traveled to, but would like to visit. When you finally do get to go on your dream trip, you can compare your kitchen masterpiece to the real deal.

Plan Your Escape
Let yourself get lost in planning your next real escape. Check out a few books at the library, set up your laptop, and start spinning the globe: it’s time to plot out the itinerary of your dream trip. Whether or not you’ll actually ever go on that trip is beyond the point—a little dreaming is a good thing!