Dream Now Travel Later – Remembering Favorite Spell Trips
During COVID times, we are craving some motivational travel ideas to inspire us to organize fun trips even if it is just an hour drive away from home. We are also getting creative with borrowing some ideas from our past adventures and utilizing them to organize safe getaways close-by.
We spoke to Amra Beganovich, a founder of a influencer marketing agency (A&E) and an influencer (@clubfashionista), to share some of her favorite past travel memories as well as some tips for safe getaways during COVID times.
(Photo – Tuscany, Italy sunflower fields)
1. Could you share your favorite summer destinations and tell us why they are so special to you?
AB: At the top of my list, I always have Italy and France. I am not the one that likes crowded places, but I still enjoy having a city nearby that offers a variety of restaurants and museums. Italy and France are both perfect to visit as they provide that balance. You can get some culture in the city museums and then drive off to the country to roam around remote villages or landscapes.
I also love to visit both Bali and Dubai in early or late summer. I visited both destinations last year in May, and they offer incredibly diverse set activities. From site seeing to shopping, there is so much to discover. I also like to explore local traditions; whether it is going to a mosque or a temple or just chatting with locals, it is always such a beautiful and spiritual experience.
(Photo – while at the pool in Bali, Indonesia)
2. How do you nurture your mental health at the moment?
COVID has been hard on so many of us. I went from traveling and working in the NYC office at about what felt like 100 miles per hour, to being isolated in my parents home in Indianapolis. I had to (re)learn how to be present again. I like to think that this was an incredible opportunity to grow internally and spend quality time with the loved ones.
These days I like to take an extra hour in the morning to read my favorite magazine or a newspaper. I allocated that hour that I would typically spend commuting to the office to reading, and it has been incredible. I also picked up new hobbies; I started learning a new language – German. It has been so fun to practice with my friends who speak the language and get immersed in the culture.
3. What are some tips that you can offer for making the most of summer 2020 even during COVID times?
AB: We would be so busy in the past that we seldom paid attention to all the beautiful things that surround us and that are within our vicinity. I love rediscovering my parents’ neighborhood and surrounding parks. I usually pick a really remote place where I can keep social distance and organize a picnic along with my favorite reads. After spending an hour there, I always feel so revived. I either read or even work on things that don’t require the internet. It is such a luxury to disconnect.
I also like the idea of exploring nearby national parks. In the U.S., many national parks will be re-open to the public on June 1st, and it will be amazing to see these parks for the first time in my life. As I am not traveling via plane, many of them are easily accessible by car, and they are not crowded (i.e. great for social distancing).
For more of Amra’s travel posts, please check out her Instagram page.