How to Travel the World from Your Couch
I love traveling. Exploring new places was one of my favorite activities before the pandemic. Since I could not travel during the pandemic, I had to find new ways to satisfy my cabin fever. Through Carpe Global’s library, I was able to find tons of fun resources that make it possible to travel from home. This is the story of how I toured the world from my couch for free.
Take a Walk Somewhere New
I started playing games that mimic that immersion of traveling somewhere new. Geo Guesser is a game that places you in a random spot on google map street view. You guess where in the world you might be, and the closer you are to guessing the location the better you score. There is even a category for famous locations! I was able to look at beautiful scenery in places I had never heard of. I also found Drive and Listen, a simulation of a car ride around different cities with local radio playing in the background. My favorite city to “drive through” was Havana, Cuba. I had a relaxing time exploring the beautiful architecture and the busy streets up close.
Stunning Views from Around the World (and Beyond)
I love exploring scenic areas and wilderness when I travel. I decided to scroll through the footage on AirPano. AirPano has beautiful images, drone footage, and 360-degree tours of scenic views around the world! I was transported to some of the most gorgeous locations I have ever seen. I felt instantly inspired to travel. After seeing the scenic views, I thought it would be fun to climb Mount Everest. Seeing the top of the world made me curious about what the rest of the universe has to explore. After a quick search, I found out that NASA has a virtual tour of Mars! This website is a 3D replica of the surface of Mars based on the images captured by the Mars Rover, Curiosity. It was truly out of this world.
Virtual Art Museums
Art museums are my favorite places to visit while traveling. During my freshman year of college, I would often go to New York City to visit the museums. My favorite museum is The Met. I felt very at home scrolling through the videos of my favorite rooms in the museum. Musei Vaticani, offers a virtual 360 degrees tour of the various museums in the Vatican. It has close up images of some of the most beautiful art in the world. I moved from room to room, admiring all the art the Vatican has to offer. VOMA is a virtual museum that includes guided tours and self-guided trips through the museum. Since the museum is completely virtual, they have a wide variety of art to experience. I was able to see pieces I had seen in real life, and pieces that were new to me.
During my search, I realized how much I enjoyed virtual tours. They are filled with interesting information that I might not get on a normal walking tour. Traveling the world is a lifelong dream of mine. I hope to explore as many new places as I can. However, until it is safe to hit the road, I will keep exploring new and beautiful locations from my couch. I hope you decided to virtually venture to some of these locations, too!
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Interested in becoming a guest blogger with Carpe Global? Contact Sarah Hyser at sarah.hyser@student.shu.edu with your ideas, and we’ll be in touch!
Sarah Hyser
Sarah Hyser is an associate at Carpe Global. She leads the Welcome to Worldly blog and publishes the monthly newsletter. Sarah is a rising senior at the Seton Hall University School of Diplomacy and International Relations. She majors in Diplomacy and minors in Middle Eastern Studies and French. She plans to pursue a graduate degree in Sustainable Development and International Affairs, and work in international development.
