One click takes the users of “Drive and Listen” straight home. To the narrow alleys of Rome, between the skyscrapers of Warsaw or to sun-drenched Buenos Aires. The video recordings from the metropolises turn the virtual car ride into a real experience. Watch the hustle and bustle at the roadside or listen to a horn concert. If you like, you can even switch on the city sounds or tune in to a local radio station. The familiar images and sounds seem almost an invitation to get lost in them. Or they evoke memories: of the last visit to home, perhaps even of the very street or corner that the virtual tour is currently passing.
Home-feeling (pre)programmed
It is very easy to start “Drive and Listen”. All users have to do is open the website in their browser, select the desired city from a drop-down menu and they are right in the middle of a virtual adventure drive. Even the driving speed can be adjusted and ambient sounds can be switched on and off. The radio stations broadcast live and there is a choice of different stations.
Homesickness inspires invention
“Soothing homesickness" is not only the purpose of "Drive and Listen", but also how it came to be. The website is a brainchild of Erkam Şeker, a programmer with Turkish roots. Like so many people with friends and family abroad, he was unable to travel to his home country because of the pandemic last year. He started watching videos from his beloved hometown Istanbul on YouTube. In the background, he listened to local radio stations on the web radio. The idea of “Drive and Listen” was born. Şeker collected the first video material on the Internet. In the meantime, many fans send him their own videos from home.
Homesickness brings people together
53 cities are already part of “Drive and Listen” and more are to follow. The popularity of the website is reflected in the social media. More than 68,000 users already follow the “driveandlisten” Instagram profile. The image and video posts in the feed announce the newly added cities and trigger curiosity for more. Numerous users comment their wishes for more cities. To support the site, users can donate a small amount via the "Buy me a coffee" link and leave a comment. User "Anna", for example, writes: “What a brilliant idea complete with true-time FM radio stations! Thank you Erkam for taking me to my home town (Warsaw) and my favourite destination (Singapore), the drives are the second best thing to real life travel which we are all missing out on at present.“
Longing or anticipation for home
Whether the whole thing alleviates or intensifies homesickness is something every user has to find out for themselves. But one thing is for sure: Drifting into dreams is inevitable! After all, there is also the possibility of "clicking" to a completely different place, for example to the palm paradise of Miami or the bustling streets of Mumbai.
When was the last time you were at home? Embark on a virtual road trip through a city you miss. With Ortel Mobile's low-cost tariffs (e.g., the 3-month package with a data volume of 21 GB and 1,500 call minutes within Germany and the EU, or the Data Ticket 20 GB for 24 hours) it's so easy.
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