How To Be A Tourist In Your Own Home Town
Even if you happen to live in a tourist-magnet city, once you’ve been somewhere for a while, the magic tends to wear off and it becomes like any other regular town. But if there’s still some time to wait until your next trip, you could do something different – discover your hometown as a tourist. Here are some ways you can get excited about your own city once more.
1. Visit the tourist information center
This might not seem like the coolest thing for an independent traveler to do, but at the end of the day, there’s a good reason why they exist: to provide suggestions on the local area. Popping in to see the professionals might give you some new ideas on what to see or suggest something which you hadn’t considered before.
2. Take a free tour
Again, this may seem to be what typical tourists do, but that’s the point. The great thing about tours – especially the free guided ones – is that the guides give a lot of information about the history of the place so you may end up learning something you never knew about your hometown. They may also have recommendations of bars and restaurants that you’ve never thought to check out, giving you somewhere else to try.
3. Act as a tour guide for a friend
If you have friends that live elsewhere and they’ve never been to your hometown, send them an invite to come and see you. It will give you a chance to show them around the main spots of your city, giving you the opportunity to rediscover them for yourself. And I usually find that when you are a tour guide for other people, you start to appreciate your town again.
4. Attend a local sports game
Most cities have a local sports team. From Highschool games all the way up to Minor League teams there is usually a lot to choose from nearby. Even if you’re not that into sports, going to a local game can be a fun experience when you feel the passion of the fans of your area. And who knows? You may end up becoming a fan for the rest of your life.
5. Get outdoors
If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere that has a lake, a forest or mountains, but you hardly make the effort to make the most of them, do it now. A lot of people don’t seem to spend a lot of time in the natural environment of their own hometown but it can be really worthwhile. See if there are any activities to try out that you would normally only do so on vacation, such as kitesurfing or pony trekking. If this is not an option where you live, take a walk in a local park instead.
There are plenty of ways in which to rediscover your hometown and see it through the eyes of a tourist. But it really is just as easy to have fun in your hometown as it is when you’re on vacation – it just takes a little imagination.