It’s overwhelming and heartbreaking to watch how this pandemic has impacted our society on a global scale in such a short period of time. Every individual has been affected by this virus in one way or another causing our daily lives to be turned upside down. 

Our hearts go out to the ones who are being exposed daily to the virus while protecting others, those that have lost loved ones, and countless other people who forfeited comforts in life solely due to COVID-19. 

Even those not on the front lines but who are doing their part staying at home and social distancing should be recognized, as well. Now, perhaps more than ever, it is important to stay healthy both physically and mentally. 

For many of us, traveling can be a form of mental reprieve. The excitement of exploring a new place, packing a suitcase, planning excursions.. The airport beer! With the current situation, it is not ideal to travel nor would there be much to do. So, for many of us jet-setters, this can take a huge toll on our mental wellness. 

Fear not. Here at TouchTree, we have a travel solution that will ensure we are all feeling accomplished both physically and mentally while maintaining proper social distancing. If you are interested, keep reading!

I was feeling a little depressed a few weeks ago. One of my goals this year was to physically write down and finalize my bucket list. You know when you’re having a conversation with someone about a topic and you think, “Oh, that’s on my bucket list”..? Then realize that it is just a theoretical list? I found myself doing that often and wanted to make sure that I had a consolidated list so that I didn’t forget or miss out on doing anything in my life. 

Many of my goals I had written down are travel-related, so I had started making plans earlier this year to start crossing things off. Obviously, many of them had to be put on hold. I had also been told that our company was starting to furlough its associates and that I was one of them. 

So.. I wasn’t feeling the greatest as you can see, but working out always makes me feel better.

We had just recently bought a stationary bike on Amazon and redid our workout space in the basement. We set it up so that you can bike in front of the TV because there are a lot of good biking videos on YouTube we can pull up on our smart TV. 

After a few days of doing free spin class videos, I started feeling unmotivated. I didn’t want to feel like I was in a classroom with no windows, especially when the weather outside was cold and gloomy. I wanted to feel like I was actually biking outside on a warm sunny day. 

Turns out, there are a lot of virtual biking videos on YouTube in many different countries. I thought that this could be a way to satisfy my travel bug while also improving my mental/physical state with exercise. One day, I was biking along the winding coastline of Italy passing through local towns and fishing markets. The next day, I was climbing the mountains in Austria where the hills are alive with the sound of music.

I definitely find myself feeling happier after I bike to one of those videos. I’ll insert some of my favorite links below but wanted to share with you all in case there were others who were feeling a similar way. Please let us know if you try any of them and how your experience was. Also, comment below other virtual cycling videos you like. Stay safe and healthy out there! This too shall pass.