Movies That Make Me Wanna Travel

Am I the only one that picks out a movie based on whether or not it has good scenery?

I am super guilty of watching movies only because they are based on a tropical island, vineyard, a mountain or just a fantastic journey. 

The movie could also be awful just down right cheesy but if I can get lost in its background it will become one of my favs.

Being able to look past the characters and plot of the movie to the actual location is something I enjoy doing - I like imagining myself there and what I would be doing.  My imagination has always been strong an I think this is a way of releasing from my current surroundings.

Here are the movies that take me away...

Second Thoughts by Timmy Turner

The guys in this film document their experience living on a remote Indonesian island in search of the perfect lefts.  It appeals to me because it satisfies and fuels my desires to want to experience the same things they did - to go off the grid in a tropical setting, to live in the natural environment and just be exactly who you want to be.

"“Second Thoughts” makes it clear that Turner and friends’ approach to travel is simple: Go hard. They take the typical Indo risk/reward calculus and multiply it exponentially. For the uninitiated here’s the jist of what they do: They take a bemo from Jakarta – one of the most dangerous cities in the world – to a rickety Indo ferry. Then they pay local fisherman to transport them to an uninhabited island and drop them off with supplies so meager that they fit on the tops of their surfboards. Next they paddle the stuff into shore where they ruin half of their provisions in the shorebreak. After that they set up camp near one of the most dangerous reefs in the world. Then they stay there, completely alone and put their lives on the line on every day in non-stop dredging barrels for a month at a time. Their struggle just to provide themselves with food, shelter and water and somehow avoid serious infection or injury, so far away from any assistance, makes this film the first to definitely depict what “going feral” truly entails. “Second Thoughts” is the type of hardcore project that makes a show like “Survivor” look ridiculous and silly by {{{comparison}}}"  Surfing Magazine  

Eat, Pray, Love

Ok, all you men out there do not judge me.  This story is hands down amazing and each time I watch it I immediately start researching tickets to India.  What else could someone want in a movie?  Heart ache, inspiration, great scenery, a love story, moral lessons.  Again, Julia Roberts could be walking around absolutely mute for the whole movie but I would not care because of the settings.  If I had the means (aka single with no kids or pets) I would set off right now and do the exact same thing she did. The way she goes overseas and makes friends and lets all her inhibitions go is something that sparks a fuel inside me because I have done it before and wish I could feel that feeling all day everyday. 

Mamma Mia

So many of you will have to watch this movie on mute because musicals are not for everyone.  But regardless of how you watch it you cannot tell me you do not yearn to visit the Greek Islands after that.  Its like I can literally feel the warm Grecian sun on my skin and taste the salt on my lips after basking in the blue waters of the Aegean Sea.  The stark white buildings with the perfect blue roofs lined with sun kissed red flowers and lazy winding streets just relaxes my whole body and makes me envision living there. 

Innersection by Taylor Steele

Not only is this a fun movie to watch but the soundtrack is fantastic too making both the scenery and tunes a motivational travel tool! 

     

Bottle Shock

I adore this movie one because it takes place in 1976,  two it is about wine and three Napa is breathtaking.  The entire movie you are driving through vineyards in classic automobiles and since it is based on a true story it sincerely takes you back in time.  Also, you can go out and buy a bottle of the wine and enjoy it to to the movie.  The following fall after I watched this movie my husband and I went out to Napa - this was our inspiration.

The Beach

Everyone has seen this iconic film that takes place in Thailand on a pristine deserted island and is home to a hippie commune.  It inspired everyone to believe they could travel across the world to find their own island and live off the grid.  Well, we all know how the movie ended to maybe it is not such a good idea.  Regardless, that movie is shot in such a beautiful location that it takes me away every time I watch it.  It also inspired my interest in foreign cultures - again traveling to meet others is one of the best things about it. 

White Squall  

This movie to me in middle school and high school was my all time favorite and that when I was just beginning my traveling career.  Yes, the movie consist of a bunch of half naked teenage boys sailing around the Caribbean but that is not why I liked it.  This movie inspired me to want to sail around the islands for school.  These days the program is called Seamester and I would have done it except I finally realized my motion sickness would not allow me to. These boys travel to beautiful locations, have amazing adventures and learn about comradery and these things are what appeal to me. 

180 Degrees South

Simply, everything about this movie is amazing.  It promotes environmentalism and adventure by retracing his heros foot steps in their 1968 adventure to Patagonia.  It shares with you courage, the spirit of travel, the life of a vagabond and love for our Earth.  It makes me want to join a grassroot group and movie to Patagonia.