Photo by S&B Vonlanthen on Unsplash
January feels heavy. The cold has settled in, and people are back at work. The nights draw in early. The momentum of Christmas has faded, leaving behind the long stretch of winter ahead.
This is when the itch starts. The urge to book somewhere else, even if life feels anchored to routine and responsibility. January and February are the months when people crave comfort most, but they also crave escape.
When people finally go away, they don’t always chase pure novelty. Some will be heading off solo for the first time, drawn by the allure of winter sun in Thailand or Australia, seeking that sense of adventure. Elsewhere, families are just looking to lap up the first bit of warmth for the year if they can grab a great package deal. Either way, there’s a pull towards things that feel known
What tends to surprise people is how little they want complete novelty once they arrive. New surroundings are exciting, but they can also be tiring. In this article, we look at the things we do to remind ourselves of home even when we’re away.
Casino Cruising
There’s something about playing the same games in a completely different setting. Roulette, blackjack, poker. The rules don’t change, but the environment does. Casino decks on cruise ships offer that sense of thrill while you’re on open water, operating under new jurisdictions in foreign seas.
You are playing games you already understand, but in a setting that feels untethered. The floor moves gently, the windows show nothing but black water, and suddenly the familiar rhythms of play feel heightened.
For many first‑timers, it feels similar to trying one of the online casinos that appear each year. The mechanics are familiar, yet the surroundings shift just enough to make everything feel fresh.
Casino cruising is also social in a way that surprises people. The same faces appear night after night, conversations start easily, and the environment is more relaxed than you’d find in Vegas or Monte Carlo.
No matter what city you visit, there’s a good chance you’ll find an Irish bar where you can catch the game. The Guinness won’t be as good, and the food will be a pale imitation, but there’s something deeply reassuring about it.
A taste of home when you need it, and the chance to catch up on the weekend’s results in a place that feels vaguely recognisable.
The Irish pub abroad has become a kind of cultural shorthand for accessible comfort. You know what you’re getting.
The layout will be roughly the same, the soundtrack will lean towards classic rock or folk, and someone behind the bar will pour you a pint while a match plays on the screen. It’s not about authenticity. It’s about muscle memory.
You walk in, you know where to stand, you know how to order, and for 90 minutes, you can pretend you never left home.
Bingo, Pub Quizzes and Bar Trivia
Walk into enough bars on holiday and sooner or later you will see a chalkboard promising quiz night, bingo, or some kind of trivia format.
For solo travellers or small groups, these events offer a low-pressure way to join in something social without having to decode a completely new set of rules.
Most places have English‑speaking hosts, so there is no real barrier to joining in. Bingo nights and pub quizzes have quietly become staples of expat and traveller life because they ask so little of you. You already know how it works. You sit down, grab a pen, and within minutes become part of something without having to decode unfamiliar customs.
The questions might wander into local history or regional oddities you have never heard of, but that’s part of the charm. It’s one of the rare holiday activities where strangers relax quickly without needing anything stronger than a soft drink to break the ice.
Card Games on Balconies and Beaches
Some kinds of entertainment travel particularly well. A deck of cards or a pack of Uno weighs almost nothing in a suitcase, yet it can turn spare half-hours into something memorable. Families spread towels on apartment balconies and play while they take turns getting ready for dinner.
Friends sit by the pool, half in the shade, and deal hands that quickly turn into running jokes for the rest of the trip. Alliances form. Someone will inevitably complain the rules changed halfway through. That laughter can set the tone for the night.
For backpackers, they are a tool for meeting people. A quick round can turn strangers into friends or rivals, depending on who gets hit with a Draw Four. Card games offer structure without effort, and that makes them ideal for travel. They remind people of home while creating new stories in new places.
Flicking through foreign channels, finding a cartoon you recognise, maybe even setting up a laptop to stream something you know. It’s a small ritual, but it gives you a chance to unwind before heading back out.
After a long day of navigating unfamiliar streets, listening to conversations in a language you barely know, and making decisions about where to eat or what to see next, sometimes you just want to collapse on the bed and watch something that doesn’t require subtitles or context.
Travel is often framed as an exercise in novelty, but the reality is more nuanced. People seek the unfamiliar, but they also need touchstones. Things that feel known, that require no effort to understand, that offer comfort when everything else feels uncertain
They give you permission to rest, to stop performing as a traveller, and to just exist for a while in a way that feels like home.
