It’s cold, and you couldn’t travel to the tropical islands. What will you do with your holiday vacation?
You don’t want to watch endless Nutcracker shows, and snow sports are not your thing either. In fact, despite it being a recurring thing every year, the cold temperature dampens your spirit, and you always escape to places with eternal summers.
With the travel restrictions currently in place and the health risks still very high, however, it would be best if you cozy yourself with some hometown activities. Who knows, it might be the opportunity to discover something interesting in your neighborhood you’ve never taken notice of before.
Volunteer in charitable institutions
Warming your heart lasts longer than warming your body. Spend this holiday season volunteering for a street kitchen for the poor. Several religious congregations are doing it all-year-round. Even if you might end up spending some time in the cold streets, this would be productively spent on people who don’t have the luxury of going home to a cozy house. You could also lead coordinate a Christmas project for orphans or the elderly people who no longer have family nearby.
Do some sports indoors
Thanks to ingenious entrepreneurs, sports that are usually done out in the open have indoor counterparts. Aside from shooting some hoops in gyms, which might not be allowed in your locality yet, you now could also practice your tee shots in an indoor driving range. Other interesting individual sports that could easily be done indoors are archery and figure skating if you’d like to try something new.
Learn how to cook cuisines from around the world
Since you can’t go and satisfy your gastronomic interests, you might as well bring those tastes to your home. They might not be the same or even close to what they should taste in their home countries, but it would give some diversity to your usual fare. Because of the pandemic, some cooking schools have also put up cooking courses online. The famed Cajun cooking of New Orleans, for example, is offered by a few schools, and they could even send you the ingredients you would need.
Go to hot springs or hot baths
This natural wonder is the best therapy for a broken heart, bored mind, and restless spirit. If you are located near one, go and enjoy its warmth. You might have been clicking your tongue because you could not enjoy a Japanese onsen this year, but if you ensure your health now, you will certainly have the opportunity to visit one in the future. If there are no hot springs near you, go and have a steaming bath instead. If you don’t have a bathtub either at your home, you could purchase a cheap DIY tub. Set it up in your backyard and pretend you’re having a blast in another country. Put in some oils like what they usually do in those luxurious spas. Essential oils like lavender and rose ease the tension in your muscles while making your skin look great.
Revive old traditions
Back before gadgets took up most of our time, the holiday season had been a time for families to gather together around the fireplace, comfortably chatting and sharing cookies and hot chocolate. It’s great if your family continues to practice this but if not, seeing as everyone is most likely stuck at home, take this opportunity to regain that bond. Learn to knit socks and scarves with your grandma. Learn the cookie recipe that has been passed on for several generations in your family. Take out the apple cider and cinnamon rolls while playing some board games you didn’t know you still had.
Have a bonfire barbecue and karaoke party
Backyard parties are not at all common during winter. Throwing one — only for the members of your household, of course — would give you something to plan and worry about. In other words, it will take time off your boredom. Mix all elements of the usual parties to make it more interesting. Make it a whole day event. You can even camp outside if your neighborhood allows large bonfires roaring late into the night.
Winter is not the most popular season. Its coldness could automatically dampen anyone’s mood, plus seasonal hazards limit outdoor movement. However, it has been aggravated with this pandemic that is still not nearing its end. Rather than bring your spirits down, use the season as an excuse to spark your creativity. This pandemic might be the lens we all need to see the mundane from a new perspective.
