I’ve been dreaming of traveling a lot recently and I cannot wait until post-Covid times when we can safely reunite with our family and friends around the world! In the meantime, the slower pace of life over the last few months has given me the opportunity to educate myself on how my family and I can bring an element of social responsibility to various aspects of our lives, from how we embody the principles of ‘conscious travel’ to how we parent. Here are a few of my favorite travel apps and social media accounts I’ve been inspired by lately.
Seat61 (Website)
Seat61 is one of my all-time favorite travel sites, and it’s surprisingly underrated. This website is the ultimate resource for train travel in any corner of the world. Not only does this website provide information on the basics of train travel, but also gives interesting tidbits like what side of the train to sit on to get the best view and which trains have the cleanest toilets! I am so in awe of the fact that this is just a passion project of one train travel enthusiast! As more and more people are choosing more environmentally conscious alternatives to air travel, I can’t think of a better resource than Seat61 to help with trip planning!
Eater (Website)
We are a family of foodies so we rely on Eater quite a bit for advice on where to find fantastic eateries. Eater particularly helps us find the small, mom-and-pop places with authentic food and a great dining experience without the pretentiousness. With kids, these small family run places definitely make us feel more welcome. In the midst of this pandemic, the focus has been more on the food itself because the dining experience is non-existent, so we’ve found some fantastic places to get take out and small businesses to support. And Eater is everywhere! We’ve used it internationally, while we lived in Portland, and now in Southern California.
Busy Toddler (Social Media)
If you have young kids and don’t follow Susie at BusyToddler, I suggest finding her on social media ASAP! Her activities to engage kids in learning and play have been a game changer for me. I know many folks are struggling with homeschooling or occupying their kids for long stretches of time with engaging activities. It has personally been a huge challenge for me as well, but this particular IG account has helped me with so many facets of parenting – teaching kids effectively, resolving conflicts with them, stocking up on the best tools to help this process, and more. Susie also recently published a book on her experience as a teacher and mother of 3 kids and released a well-timed curriculum guide to foster a healthy learning environment at home.
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah and Born a Crime: Stories From A South African Childhood (Comedy Central Show and Book)
The last few months have weighed heavily on me with regard to the collective fight for (and lack of) racial justice. A conversation that I have had many times with BIPOC in my own community is how we use humor to cope with inequalities or injustices that we perceive. Political satire, particularly The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, has really helped me balance all of my emotions on this subject. I find his style of humor relatable and he’s not afraid to get ‘real’ when needed. I’m currently digging into his book, Born a Crime: Stories From A South African Childhood.
NatGeoTravel (Social Media and Print Magazine)
I’m so glad that dreaming of future travel is not canceled in 2020, because I’ve definitely been doing a lot of that lately! I recently learned that NatGeo and NatGeoTravel have more Instagram followers in comparison to other huge brands and it’s really no surprise. The photographs they post are beyond stunning! For print media fans, the National Geographic magazine is incredible – their articles are hard-hitting and thoroughly researched, and I find it more objective and educational than the news outlets that saturate our lives these days.
You may also like these Editors’ picks on the Bébé Voyage blog, check them out!
