Hometown Vacay, Part 1
For the majority of this summer, I have been, and will be, staying in my hometown of Miami, Florida. Many people would probably say bummer, but I say bring it on.
Everyone goes on vacations to escape from home, for a change, for something different. But I'd like to bet that most people have utilized the potential of their city less than the average tourist.
The problem is, the majority of people see their hometown as place they sleep, work, go to school, take the kids to practice, run errands, and go out to eat at the same places every weekend. Rarely do you find a person searching out new, under-the-radar activities or places in their own city.
I've always underestimated and taken Miami for granted. Never have I truly utilized the city for what it has to offer. This summer, however, I made it a personal goal to find out more about my city, and try to explore more of it.
Last week, one of my college friends from Waco, Texas, came to visit my in Miami. This sort of shifted my perspective on my "home", if you will, and made me become a tour guide (or more probable: tourist) in Miami for the four days she was here. Now, before she came I kind of brainstormed a bit and tried to come up with some "Miami" things to do (many of which, I discovered, I hadn't really done myself). So as this is serving sort of as an intro blog post to this "blog series", I'd just like to introduce the concept of vacationing in your own hometown.
Step 1: Research
But I've lived here my entire life.
Yeah, in the suburb next to the local park with a grocery store and mall down the street going to the same five restaurants every time the family goes out to eat. So research.
Ideas: new/different restaurants, nightlife, local tourist attractions, art districts, wildlife, outdoors activities, coffee shops, concert venues, etc.
Step 2: Plan
It's kind of like a vacation... hence, vacationing in your own city...
Not in the sense you have to take off a week from work and go around doing fun things (although certainly that is by no means a bad idea), but mix in the new/different things to do with your regular schedule. Go to the restaurant downtown that you've heard is amazing but never have bothered to try. Go try out that new wake board park or the abandoned building with rad graffiti art on Saturday instead of sticking to the whole sleep-gym-eat-tv routine. Replace the normal with different and soon you'll see your city from an entirely new angle.
Step 3: GO!
Get up off that couch and go do it. Go. Now. Explore the amazing city you're blessed to live in, and just see what it has in store for you.
Yeah so that's all I've got for today. Just wanted to set the foundation for the upcoming posts in which I'll describe how I've been vacationing in my own city, Miami. YAY (and lucky you, if you ever find yourself vacationing here in tropical South Florida, because you'll know everything there is to know).
Peace, friends, and keep dreaming in color.
