- Across
TikTok , Facebook, and Twitter, people are repurposing their treadmills as aluggage belt andairport walkways. - People around the world have had to cancel trips and vacations, so many are finding creative ways to recreate those experiences from their home.
- The videos have served as a creative outlet for some and a fun laugh for others.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
Without the ability to go to the airport, users across TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter are repurposing their treadmills. The workout equipment now functions as luggage conveyor belts and airport walkways.
A majority of the world is on some form of lockdown, so homes have become the only place to
With travel now limited to essential trips, people are using their creativity to build airport experiences in their homes
With a
Lukas Georgas got the idea for his videos after seeing clips of people on TikTok disappointed that their trips were canceled.
@lukasgeorgas Fake it till ya make it✈️ ##comedy ##memes ##meme ##funny ##lmao ##funnyvideos ##comedy ##fyp ##tiktoktravel ##airport ##airportlife ##planes ##missit
♬ Crowd - Loud Airport Terminal Sound Effect - Hollywood Sound Effects
"They were all dwelling on the situation," he told Insider. "I was like, 'How can I implement something that people want to do now? And kind of make a joke about it."
Georgas has made a few different videos using his treadmill. His first one, which has nearly 830,000 views at the time of writing, features him on an "airport walkway" with his
His next video has him jogging with his luggage. "Me preparing for when I can run late to my flights again," the caption says.
@lukasgeorgas my parents thought I was working out ##comedy ##funny ##memes ##lmao ##funnyvideos ##tiktoktravel ##fyp ##airport ##airportlife ##planes ##missit ##jokes
♬ Crowd - Loud Airport Terminal Sound Effect - Hollywood Sound Effects
"I just tried to make the airport experience in my basement," Georgas said.
@manikasgeorge Last call!!!!!!! Bad habits don't cut easily!!!! ##foryoupage ##foryou ##fyp ##travell ##boys
♬ Crowd - Loud Airport Terminal Sound Effect - Hollywood Sound Effects
Amanda Yu-Nguyen saw a similar video on Facebook. She and her partner were laughing over the concept, and Yu-Nguyen realized that she could recreate it herself, she told Insider.
"I'm one of those people who downloaded TikTok because of quarantine," she laughed.
So she decided to recreate it. She put the treadmill on its lowest setting, grabbed her luggage from the laundry room, and wore a neck pillow throughout the video.
@itsjustyu The new treadmill challenge. ##quarantinefun ##howto ##treadmillchallenge ##millennial ##boredinthehouse ##travel ##quarantinetravels ##globetrotter ##funny
♬ original sound - itsjustyu
Jessica Sfier and her sister Maryana hopped on the trend, too.
After begging their parents to get their luggage down from storage, the two filmed the video on their treadmill.
@jessicasfeir we out of here as soon as we get the OK. ✈️✌ ##treadmillchallenge ##airport ##luggage ##quarantine ##coronavirus ##travel ##flying ##vacation ##mepracticing
♬ Crowd - Loud Airport Terminal Sound Effect - Hollywood Sound Effects
Making TikToks has helped her family bond, Jessica told Insider. "It's going to get better, it can't go on like this forever," she said. "So in the meantime, let's just laugh."
Both creators and watchers have used the videos as a break from reality
@anicabazinet who’s ready to start traveling again? ♀️ ##fyp ##foryoupage ##foryou ##tiktokquebec ##qc ##travel ##traveling ##boyfriend ##covid19 ##summer2020
♬ Crowd - Loud Airport Terminal Sound Effect - Hollywood Sound Effects
"If a silly video can make someone laugh for a few minutes in a day, I think that's, in a way, therapeutic for folks," Yu-Nguyen explained. "Making something funny doesn't mean you're ignoring the realities that are around us."
Yu-Nguyen said growing up her family prioritized traveling over things like name-brand clothes or cable TV. This pandemic has canceled a few trips and weddings, so silly videos like this have helped her cope.
"We had the greatest gift of all, which was travel. To not be able to do that right now is really hard," she said. "This was kind of a fun way to navigate that reality."
- Read more:
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