With the rapid changes happening due to COVID-19, we're all trying to figure out a way to stay safe and stay sane. People all across the country have resorted to social distancing and working from home in an effort to limit the spread of illness and much of the travel world as we knew it has been completely turned upside down. Countries all over the globe have either restricted travel or closed borders to non-citizens. So what's a gal (or guy) to do when we're stuck at home with wanderlust on the brain?
Here's a cool list of ideas to continue to nurture your love of food and travel right from the comfort of your own home.
Cook a meal.
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Instead of gaining 15 pounds by eating all of your quarantine snacks, why not get in the kitchen and try making a delicious and filling meal that is native to your favorite travel destination? Find a recipe online or watch a cooking show and get inspired! You can try something simple like a Cuban sandwich with roast pork, Swiss cheese and sweet ham or a more elaborate dish like Paella with rice, mussels, calamari and shrimp. Step out of your comfort zone by sharpening those culinary skills and learning about dishes from around the world.
Watch your favorite movie.
What better way to have an "almost" vacay than to become immersed in your favorite movie staged at a gorgeous travel destination? The right movie can certainly awaken our curiosities about other parts of the world and inspire us to face our fears and try new things. Have a virtual "baecation" and watch Eat, Pray, Love as Julia Roberts discovers delicious foods in Italy and awakens spiritually in Bali. Or grab your tissues and watch Kim Bassinger move through the gorgeous landscapes of the Motherland in the heartbreaking drama I Dreamed of Africa.
Create a scrapbook.
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Are the little mementos that you've brought back from vacation currently scattered all over your home? Now is the perfect time to not only get organized, but to relive those fond memories. Get a scrapbook and pull out those old trinkets, currency and postcards from around the world. You can also use an old gift box to store souvenirs that may be too large to secure in a book. While you're organizing, have a conversation with your "quarantine buddy" about fun travel memories. If you're alone, think about how each destination you gathered a keepsake from made you feel. Would you go back? What some new places you'd like to add to your travel list? Give yourself something to look forward to.
Start online travel conversations.
There are a ton of travel groups on Facebook that have a non-stop flow of information, pictures, tips and stories to keep you going until you're able to book that next flight. The most positive thing about these groups is that you can connect with like-minded people and even establish connections that could develop into long-lasting friendships. Tired of traveling alone? Join a group and find a travel buddy. Or if travel groups just aren't your thing, start your own online convo about a topic that's important to you. Go live and ask your followers how they're surviving being stuck at home, if they've had any recent travel plans that they've had to cancel and where they look forward to going once all of this has cleared up.
Check out museums & art galleries.
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I was forced to cancel my dream trip to Paris this year due to the COVID-19, but that doesn't mean I can't still take a trip to the Louvre. Several museums and art galleries around the world are offering virtual visits to their iconic exhibitions and they can be enjoyed right from your living room. The Mussee d'Orsay in Paris, The Smithsonian in D.C., The British Museum in London all offer tours for travelers still looking to become more culturally enlightened at a safe distance. If Egyptian mummies and historic artwork don't suit your fancy, try e-visiting a few of the Seven Wonders of the World. The Great Wall of China, The Taj Mahal and Machu Picchu all offer online tours.
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In a xoNecoleexclusive, the iconic actress opens up about embracing this season of her life, new projects, and overall being a “bad motherfucker.” Gabrielle reveals that she was 37 years old when she was diagnosed with perimenopause and is still going through it at 51 years old. Mayo Clinic says perimenopause “refers to the time during which your body makes the natural transition to menopause, marking the end of the reproductive years.”
“I haven't crossed over the next phase just yet, but I think part of it is when you hear any form of menopause, you automatically think of your mother or grandmother. It feels like an old-person thing, but for me, I was 37 and like not understanding what that really meant for me. And I don't think we focus so much on the word menopause without understanding that perimenopause is just the time before menopause,” she tells us.
Gabrielle Union
Photo by Brian Thomas
"But you can experience a lot of the same things during that period that people talk about, that they experienced during menopause. So you could get a hot flash, you could get the weight gain, the hair loss, depression, anxiety, like all of it, mental health challenges, all of that can come, you know, at any stage of the menopausal journey and like for me, I've been in perimenopause like 13, 14 years. When you know, most doctors are like, ‘Oh, but it's usually about ten years, and I'm like, ‘Uhh, I’m still going (laughs).’”
Conversations about perimenopause, fibroids, and all the things that are associated with women’s bodies have often been considered taboo and thus not discussed publicly. However, times are changing, and thanks to the Gabrielle’s and the Tia Mowry’s, more women are having an authentic discourse about women’s health. These open discussions lead to the creation of more safe spaces and support for one another.
“I want to be in community with folks. I don't ever want to feel like I'm on an island about anything. So, if I can help create community where we are lacking, I want to be a part of that,” she says. “So, it's like there's no harm in talking about it. You know what I mean? Like, I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change. I'm just getting better and stronger and more intelligent, more wise, more patient, more compassionate, more empathetic. All of that is very, very welcomed, and none of it should be scary.”
The Being Mary Jane star hasn’t been shy about her stance on therapy. If you don’t know, here’s a hint: she’s all for it, and she encourages others to try it as well. She likens therapy to dating by suggesting that you keep looking for the right therapist to match your needs. Two other essential keys to her growth are radical transparency and radical acceptance (though she admits she is still working on the latter).
"I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change."
Gabrielle Union and Kaavia Union-Wade
Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images
“I hope that a.) you recognize that you're not alone. Seek out help and know that it's okay to be honest about what the hell is happening in your life. That's the only way that you know you can get help, and that's also the only other way that people know that you are in need if there's something going on,” she says, “because we have all these big, very wild, high expectations of people, but if they don't know what they're actually dealing with, they're always going to be failing, and you will always be disappointed. So how about just tell the truth, be transparent, and let people know where you are. So they can be of service, they can be compassionate.”
Gabrielle’s transparency is what makes her so relatable, and has so many people root for her. Whether through her TV and film projects, her memoirs, or her social media, the actress has a knack for making you feel like she’s your homegirl. Scrolling through her Instagram, you see the special moments with her family, exciting new business ventures, and jaw-dropping fashion moments. Throughout her life and career, we’ve seen her evolve in a multitude of ways. From producing films to starting a haircare line to marriage and motherhood, her journey is a story of courage and triumph. And right now, in this season, she’s asking, “What’s next?”
“This is a season of discovery and change. In a billion ways,” says the NAACP Image Award winner. “The notion of like, ‘Oh, so and so changed. They got brand new.’ I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
"I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
She continues, “So I'm just trying to figure out what's next. You know what I mean? I'm jumping into what's next. I'm excited going into what's next and new. I'm just sort of embracing all of what life has to offer.”
Look out for Gabrielle in the upcoming indie film Riff Raff, which is a crime comedy starring her and Jennifer Coolidge, and she will also produce The Idea of You, which stars Anne Hathaway.
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