I never thought I’d be living through a sci-fi film script. I happen to work in TV, so I don't say that lightly.

A couple of months ago I was re-watching Steven Soderbergh's film Contagion. In a nutshell, the story is about a deadly virus, the worldwide struggle to curb its spread and the panic that ensues. Sounds familiar? I had popcorn and all the trimmings.

The coronavirus was just beginning to crop up in the news, but it was all happening somewhere far away.

But fast forward to end of March. I’m in lockdown, working remotely from my laptop, not allowed to leave my house, reading up regularly on causality numbers and observing how the world is changing in front of my eyes (computer screen).

I travel for a living - well, not at the moment - what does 'travel' even mean now?

If you follow my site or Instagram feed, you know that travel is my life. I travel for work and for pleasure. I’ve been 'on the go' all my life. So what do I do now? Will I ever travel in the same way again? What will change?

There's a slight chance we’ll forget about this virus a few months down the line and just move on. I doubt that, as the scale of this situation is unprecedented and it's impacting everyone, in various ways. Apart from the obvious health related issues, the aftermath of this virus will have immense financial repercussions on the economy and our world won't look the same.

We might finally start exploring and appreciating what’s closer to our homes. Things that we took for granted, like a walk in the local park, coffee from an old school thermos, sitting on a bench and just people-watching.

I think we'll also start looking at cheaper or even completely free alternatives because of limited income. It also feels safer to stay close to home. Though I’m sure some of us will still crave long-haul travel, especially after being cooped up in the house for extended periods of time.

I love to travel and travel can mean so many things. Eating, meeting people, being adventurous, taking on new challenges. It's also the planning (the Germans have a beautiful word for that Reisefieber): packing bags, heading to the airport, flipping through the guidebook. Once this is over I will want to experience all the above again,but for now, exploring what’s close to me feels safer and also easier, hassle-free. I’m starting to appreciate the nearby park, homemade (Italian) espresso in the morning and doing ‘local’ challenges ( like growing my own veggies). It’s a new way of travelling. Travelling at home.

So once the lockdown finishes and you feel safe again, I'd love to hear from you about how you plan to 'travel' these days and any quirky places you suggest for ‘travelling locally’.