Travel – the thrill of the unknown, overcoming problems, new encounters, moving out of your comfort zone. It is synonymous with going far away. Yet it is possible to find some of those feelings closer to home. This allows you to get that “travel buzz” without breaking the bank!
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” – Marcel Proust
Try a day out or overnight, in your local city. Finding different areas that you’ve not visited before, learning about the character of each “quarter” can be a whole new adventure. The trick? You just have to be prepared to look at it through new eyes.
Take London for example, I go in and out frequently for work, visited it numerous times, but always the main attractions, the same routes heavily frequented by tourists. I took my own advice – decided to try and look at it differently. To find other places, to step off the well trampled routes onto the not so busy ones. I chose to walk more, not dash from one area to the other by Tube. That walk from train station to hotel took me through cobbled mews streets. Through quieter streets with cute independent shops and cafes, and across a park filled with parakeets.
Another time I took the water taxi down the Thames from Westminster Pier to Greenwich. The captain entertained with stories behind the various landmarks we passed. If I’d gone by tube I would have missed the post they tied condemned men to. Where they waited for three high tides to come and go to ensure that they were dead. Walking round Greenwich I discovered a foot tunnel under the Thames dating from 1902. I marvelled at the feat of engineering as I walked under the river.
Looking at a local area differently
Marcel Proust was right – choosing to look at a local area differently can bring unexpected finds and new experiences. It’s a good way to get the ‘buzz” often found with grander, more expensive travel. And it keeps you discovering whilst you plan your next bigger adventure.
Read more about Local Gems here