7 Ways to Be Adventurous Without Leaving Home

Do you want to be adventurous, but you can’t leave home? No problem! Check out 7 amazing ways you can explore the world from your armchair.

It’s been a rough year, and most of us have been spending a lot more time at home than we normally would. It’s tempting to sit around and mourn all the cancelled trips and lost opportunities of 2020, but instead, let’s do something fun! Who says you need to leave your house to be adventurous?

Here are my seven favorite ways of exploring the world from your armchair (or kitchen, or bed – you get the point). You can do some of these activities while exercising or doing household chores, which is an extra bonus for all of you busy people out there.

Keep reading to the end for my podcast, book, and TV show recommendations!

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Be Adventurous Tip #1: Listen to a podcast

Put on a podcast while you cook dinner tonight. You won’t regret it!

Tip #2: Explore a new cuisine

Not only can you listen to a podcast while you’re making dinner, but you can also turn dinner itself into an adventure. Last spring my fiancé and I decided to have our date nights in a different “country” every week.

Before the pandemic hit, we managed to taste Dominican, Korean, and Japanese food in addition to our more frequent American, Peruvian, and Thai. It was a delicious way to branch out!

It’s been over a year now since I’ve eaten in a restaurant (yikes), but staying at home doesn’t mean you can’t be adventurous with your meals. If cooking is your jam, then look up some fun new recipes.

If you’re less talented in the kitchen (or simply need a break), order takeout or delivery. Our local restaurants need extra support right now, so you can kill two birds with one stone by helping your community and expanding your culinary horizons.

My favorite food-themed quarantine adventure so far has been Ethiopian food. And one of my roommates keeps ordering from a Himalayan restaurant, so maybe that will be next!

It’s time to acquaint your taste buds with new flavors!

Tip #3: Watch Movies and TV Shows That Expand Your Horizons

Many of us have been watching significantly more Netflix recently. Why not turn that time into cultural exploration? You can learn so much even while enjoying a foreign movie or TV show. It doesn’t even have to be from another country – it could also be set in a cool location or could engage with the world in a new way.

Hit play with an open mind and see where you end up!

Tip #4: Listen to music in a foreign language

We all know how music can affect our mood or change the atmosphere in a room. So it’s no surprise that music from different countries can inspire us in new ways.

Have you ever heard a melody that took you far away in space or in time? Maybe there’s a song that reminds you of your hometown. Or maybe there’s one that evokes images of a distant place you have never even visited.

I’ll give you an example of a song in Mandarin that has inspired me. Last summer my Chinese instructor recommended “A Million Possibilities” by Christine Welch, a PhD candidate in Asian Languages and Literatures at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Christine writes all of her music in Mandarin, and this particular song is a major hit in China. Christine combined quotes from Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi with her own original lyrics to produce a gorgeous song steeped in Chinese poetic and philosophical tradition.

Music is powerful, so use that power to broaden your experience of the world.

If you aren’t sure what language to start with, you can always go on YouTube and listen to Disney songs in different languages until you find one you like the sound of.

(Seriously! Check out “How Far I’ll Go” from Moana in Arabic – it’s awesome. Of course there isn’t too much cultural exploration going on in listening to Disney, but you are exploring linguistically. And you are gathering research for new language candidates.)

Tip #5: Be adventurous with your social media accounts

If you’re like me, then you probably spend more time than you mean to on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Here’s an easy way to make scrolling your social media feed into an adventure: follow accounts that introduce you to new things. When you diversify your feed, you diversify your daily experience and open yourself up to new ideas.

What kinds of accounts can you follow? Check out the British Museum and Archaeology Magazine – I am always learning fun facts about cultures around the world from their posts. To satisfy my love for travel, I follow National Geographic Travel, BBC Earth, and various travel bloggers. Since I’m learning Chinese, I keep tabs on accounts like Chineasy.

Think about a new area you want to explore – art, music, literature, film, history – and then follow related accounts.

What are you waiting for? Go like or follow 5 new accounts!

Tip #6: Read a book

I bet you were expecting this tip, right? I’m sure you’ve been told that books open up new worlds at least a few times in your life. Well, I’m here to say that I completely agree. Books, whether fiction or non-fiction, are such a great way to be adventurous.

Tip #7: Experiment with a new language

Learning a new language is hard (I’m working on my 9th, so trust me, I speak from experience). Maybe you don’t have time to study seriously – and that’s okay. Even just dabbling can be a valuable experience and can bring all kinds of spice to your life.

Last summer I took advantage of a free online course at my university to finally start Mandarin. My Mandarin is still super basic, but I now have a glimpse into the beauty of Chinese history, culture, and literature.

You don’t have to be an expert in a language. You don’t even have to want to be. Why not dip your toes in the sweet, bubbling stream of language learning? No pressure, no strings attached – learn a few phrases and see what you think.

One obvious (free!) introductory program is Duolingo, and you can find all kinds of language learning channels on YouTube. These are great options for preliminary exploration.

Choose a language and learn how to say hello!

Be Adventurous At Home

Are you ready to start your home adventure? There’s no time like the present. Try to fit one of these things into your daily routine and you’ll be surprised where it takes you.

If you want more specific recommendations for podcasts, TV shows, and books, keep reading. If not, head down to the comments and let me know what you think of my seven ways to be adventurous without leaving home.

Is there anything you would add to this list?

Recommendations for Being Adventurous

Podcasts

• Words for Granted by Ray Belli – a fun, well-researched podcast about the history of words
• The History of Rome by Mike Duncan – an entertaining history of ancient Rome in 179 episodes
• The China History Podcast by Laszlo Montgomery – everything you ever wanted to know about China; I recommend starting with some of the earlier episodes, unless you are already pretty familiar with Chinese history

TV Series

• Crash Landing on You – this Korean TV show tells the story of a South Korean heiress who ends up in North Korea due to a paragliding accident. A North Korean soldier discovers her, and so begins an epic forbidden love story. You can watch a trailer of Crash Landing on You here. Available on Netflix.
• The Time In Between – this Spanish mini-series introduces us to Sira Quiroga, a young Spanish seamstress. Sira opens a shop in Morocco in the years leading up to World War II and ends up involved in English espionage. You can watch a trailer of The Time In Between here. At the moment this show doesn’t seem to be on any of the main streaming services, but if you look hard enough on the internet, you should be able to find it. And you can read the book it is based on!
• Go! Live Your Way – this Argentine series, full of upbeat inspiring music, describes how a talented teenage singer struggles to fit in at her new performing arts high school. For more information, read my post about Argentine musical TV. Available on Netflix.
• Ekaterina: The Rise of Catherine the Great – this Russian mini-series tells the story of how the German princess Sophie came to be empress Catherine the Great of Russia. You can watch a watch a trailer of Ekaterina here. Available on Amazon Prime (sign up for a 30-day free trial here).

Books: Fiction & Non-fiction

• Hard to Be a God by the brothers Strugatsky- this fascinating Soviet science fiction novel is a weird blend of sci-fi and medieval period drama
• Medea by Euripides – this classic tragedy has stood the test of time. Read more about it, and other Greek plays, in my post on how to read Greek tragedy.
• Guns, Germs, & Steel by Jared Diamond – an excellent, accessible account of the evolution of civilizations on different continents
• SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard – the book’s title explains its content; I will just add that it is a highly enjoyable read

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