What to do during a long journey

Travelling always evokes a special mood and an opportunity to escape from everyday life, discover new horizons and enrich one’s life experience. However, long journeys can be a challenge for patience and creativity, especially when the time spent on transport can seem like a boring wait. But there’s no need to feel discouraged – there are endless opportunities for fun pastimes. This article will discuss ten different ways to make a long journey more enjoyable and productive.

Reading and listening to audiobooks

It’s always possible to take books along or download audiobooks to a device. This is a great way to expand one’s knowledge, enjoy literature or learn something new. It can be useful for enriching vocabulary, improving cognitive skills, developing imagination and creativity, and finding time for self-development.

Listening to music and podcasts

Create a playlist before leaving or while travelling to get in the mood for music. It works well to choose different genres to avoid monotony, and it’s not difficult to find interesting podcasts on topics of interest, from science and history to psychology, culture and more. This is a great way to keep the mind active.

Learning

This is a great opportunity to download a language learning app and choose a new language to learn, with new words and expressions to fill the hours. One can also find online lessons for playing musical instruments and try to learn some simple tunes. There are audio lessons on topics to interest anyone and gain new skills and knowledge while travelling.

Creativity

Keeping a travel diary to describe impressions, ideas and adventures and write down feelings about new places and experiences can be a wonderful way of preserving memories. The artistically inclined can capture travel experiences through drawings or paintings, using paper and pens, pencils or brushes, or using digital drawing tools. One could try taking photos of trips from unexpected angles or using different filters and effects. Drawing mandalas or abstract images can also help us to focus and relax.

Playing games

Playing games while travelling is a popular way to keep entertained and reduce the time spent in transit. Whether travelling by car, train, plane or bus, games can make the journey more interesting and enjoyable. There are also some board games that are suitable for playing on transport, such as magnetic chess and card games, and of course it’s always possible to download mobile games to a smartphone or tablet in order to play offline.

Planning and organisation

Creating a digital or paper travel diary where one keeps records of each day can be a very interesting and useful way to store travel experiences and memories, as well as think ahead for future experiences. It’s fun to take photos of interesting places and views seen, and create a photo album for the trip – a great way to capture the best moments.

Relaxation and meditation

There are wonderful ways to calm the mind, relieve stress and enjoy inner peace while travelling. Modern technology makes it easy to access a variety of apps and resources that help practice relaxation and meditation, even on the move. The digitally-minded can download a meditation and relaxation app, choose a programme with different relaxation and meditation techniques, or listen to nature sounds or special music tracks to help relax. One can also go old-school with some practice, and meditate solo.

Route planning

Studying the route while travelling by looking at the map and learning more about the places passed is an easy way to pass the time. The main idea behind itinerary planning is to allocate time between stops so that there is the opportunity to visit local attractions and experiences. When thinking about the route, it’s worth considering the time spent at each stop in order to explore the local culture. Researching the travel route can provide the chance to learn about the history, cultural attractions and peculiarities of each place passed through, as well as explore local cuisine such as traditional dishes served in restaurants, coffee shops or even street stalls.

Observe nature

If travelling in a natural area, this is a perfect time to observe the changes in the landscape, vegetation and animals. Travelling at different times of the year can expose the different faces of nature, and it’s always worth taking photos of breathtaking views or natural phenomena. A long journey can be the best time to improve oneself, discover new things and enjoy the unknown.

By using different forms of entertainment and self-development, a journey can become unforgettable and rich. Observing nature, learning about local culture, planning the route, playing games and relaxing are just a few of the ways to spend time on the road with real benefits. One should be open to new experiences, learning and growing on every journey to let every minute be an opportunity to see the world and one’s own inner world from a new and exciting perspective. A long trip can be not only a way of reaching a destination, but also a fascinating exploration in its own right, opening up new opportunities for growth and relaxation.

The editorial unit