I recently met a taxi driver who has been living on a small beautiful island for over thirty years. During my time on the island, I had him drive me to all the historic landmarks and beautiful trails. He hadn’t heard of or been to the majority of these sites. He hadn’t even tried either of the two restaurants on the island! One day I asked him to take me to a specific trail known for spectacular waterfalls. It was his first time going to the head of the trail which was marked amongst luscious green hills. He was amazed by the beauty and asked me to take some pictures of him with the landscape. I was quite shocked that he had never driven out to the trail, which was a mere 10 minute drive from his house, amazed that he had missed the amazing wonders under his nose.
Then some colleagues inquired about my hometown and the major city nearby. I realized that I too was guilty of missing the beauty right in front of me. I hadn’t participated in many of the activities in my hometown nor gone out and explored many of the beautiful nature spots nearby. Many of the restaurants in my hometown I had never heard of or been to. I’ve always thought of my hometown as boring but I never treated my hometown as a tourist would.
While I was on the island, I proactively made a bucket list of all the activities that sounded fun to me and made it a priority to attend them. This ranged from trying a restaurant, to hiking, to attending the small cultural festival the community hosts every year. Whenever I wasn’t working, even if I only had a few hours of free time (which was often the case), I made it my mission to see and experience as much as possible because I knew my time on the island was limited. I decided to bring this perspective and energy to my hometown. It seems that for many people, myself included, it feels like we have unlimited time to explore the things in our hometowns. However, when we continuously push them off, they never happen (what I like to call “too much time syndrome”). We don’t appreciate the experiences in front of us until it’s too late. I’ve always thought of my hometown as boring because I didn’t actively and proactively explore the ways it is fun and interesting.
Recently, I’ve been working on treating my hometown with the same interest I treated that small island. I found myself trying new restaurants in my hometown, picking apples at a nearby orchard, exploring new churches, meeting up with old friends from highschool, taking new walking routes around my neighborhood, buying vegetables from a family farmers market, and filling my calendar with free events from the local library (e.g., zumba, yoga, knitting, book clubs and all for free). I discovered events and activities I had no idea were here the whole time. I’ve been significantly happier and have a better sense of community. I’ve met many kind strangers who have shared their wisdom and given me life and book recommendations. My loneliness and boredom have decreased ten-fold.
I’d encourage you to try being a tourist in your hometown – see what hikes are nearby, check out some local shops and businesses (Is there a farmer’s market nearby?), watch a local band perform live, reconnect with some old friends. Unlock the wonders you may be missing out on right under your nose before it’s too late. You never know who you might meet, how you might grow, or how your happiness might blossom.