Becoming a Tourist in Your Own Town
As a notoriously restless person, today’s topic is near and dear to my heart. Before we get into it, let me just say, sometimes you need to get out. Sometimes the best move is an actual physical move to a new city, and sometimes you really need a change of scenery in the form of a vacation. I am decidedly pro-moving (and DEFINITELY pro-vacation), but those are larger commitments and not always the right answer.
If you’re feeling stuck, or restless, or things are a bit more dull than you would like, I highly encourage you to consider being a tourist in your town for a day. This can take many forms, but here are a few of my favorite ways to shake things up:
Try out a new coffee shop. If you’ve tried all of the coffee shops in your town (no judgments here), go one town over.
Take an alternate route. If you’re still commuting to work, switch up your commute. Same goes for dropping your kids off at school, or running to Target, or going to your favorite exercise class. Just take a different route. This simple act can bring your brain back into the present, help improve your memory, and boost your creative thinking skills.
Find a new green space. I guarantee there is a park within a 30-45 minute drive from you that you have not yet checked out. Find some open space, lay out a blanket, bring a book or a podcast (and your headphones, because ruining everyone else’s park experience with your music or podcast isn’t cool), and enjoy. Bonus: it’s free.
A very cool park in downtown Greensboro, NC
Take a walk or go for a run in a different area. This is one of my favorites! As convenient as it is to go a for a walk or run from your house, most of us only have access to so many routes if we’re leaving from our front door. By driving just a few miles down the road, you open yourself up to a whole new set of options. I’m a big fan of MapMyRun.com if you want to map your route ahead of time (and you know, avoid ending up walking alongside the highway).
Try out a new exercise class. I’ll talk more about the importance of movement at a later date, but movement + something novel can be huge for shaking you out of a rut. Hot yoga, a HIIT class, water aerobics, a new weight lifting program, or a hiking club - it doesn’t matter, just challenge yourself to try something new.
Plan a day trip. We so often forget how many interesting places are within a couple hours drive. I can't tell you how many people I’ve met while traveling who grew up in the area where they’re currently living and told me “I still somehow haven’t made it to XYZ cool place nearby”. When you live relatively close to something, you think you have an infinite amount of time to check it out, and yet, so often years go by without ever making it there. If you’re close to the coast, plan a day trip to that beach you’ve been wanting to explore. If you have mountains nearby, find a new hike to try. If you’re in South Dakota and the Corn Palace isn’t that far, for sure go check that out.
If ever you find yourself driving through South Dakota… would recommend the Corn Palace.
Think about where you would want to take a visitor. This always helps get my wheels turning. Usually, there is something that I’ve been wanting to do, or some place I’ve been wanting to go, that I think would be perfect to do when a friend/family member comes to town. This is your sign to stop waiting for that person to visit and treat yourself to some solo time doing the thing you’ve been wanting to do. If you end up really loving it, you can take your friends and family when they come by, and if you don’t, better to have not wasted their time on something that wasn’t very exciting to begin with.
That’s all I have for now, but I’m sure there are a ton of other great ideas out there. Feel free to leave any other ideas in the comments below! My challenge to you this week is to try something new in your neighborhood, even if it’s just take-out from a different place on Friday night. And if you’re feeling reeeallllyy stuck, well, you can always move ;)
