Returning from a neighborhood walk the other day, I made a decision. It’s time to travel again! No, not the kind that requires a plane ticket or passport. I’m talking about getting my travel fix the way I did before I started globetrotting: through maps, pictures, and postage stamps. Bonus points for everything being readily accessible online now.

Since traveling might be out of the picture for a while, I wanted to explore some places that fascinate me…from the comfort of my favorite recliner. My curiosity still needs to be fed and watered. If I can’t go there, I can still get a glimpse of what it’s like through the magic of the Internet.

We all do.

Travel is going to be different, whenever it “comes back.” And so will our lives. However, I choose to look at all of this through a brighter colored lens. Sure, we’re going to have to deal with some unpleasant realities. I’ll leave that to the media to cover. I’m taking the high road (couldn’t resist a travel metaphor while I was at it).

After that walk, I sat down and made several lists. Mining the recesses of my geographic memory, I started ranking places in groups of ten. Exotic cuisines, spectacular scenery, remotest outposts, and paradisiacal beaches all have their own groupings. I’ll be throwing some links together in my own version of a quickly planned trip.

We’ll call it the Stay-at-Home Traveler series.

I hope these random vignettes will spark some interest, pique your curiosity to look deeper, or at least allow you to enjoy a few minutes of indulging in another locale.

Stay tuned for the first installment soon!