Top Ten

11:11 PM Jmo 0 Comments

Whenever I plan a trip, I scour the Internet in search of 'Top Ten Things To Do in _____' lists. I think it's interesting and helpful to compare people's opinions and see what they took away from a destination. If one attraction continues to pop up on my radar, I take that as a sign. I love holes-in-the-wall and hidden treasures left for only a wanderer to discover too, of course. But it's also nice to do a little research beforehand.

Currently I've be researching Okinawa. I know little to nothing about Okinawa aside from the fact that a major battle took place there during WWII and the US military still has a base there. But, I decided on Okinawa because I only have a few vacation days left, the plane ride is short, tickets were cheap, and I've never been. But after a few mouse clicks, I have an entire list of things to see, eat, and do. (Can't wait! Japan: Round II here I come!) Thank you interwebz.

That got me to thinking... What about looking up a Top Ten list for your hometown? How interesting would that be! How many things do you take for granted or how many things have you never even seen? I don't know why I haven't done that before. I felt kinda bad about it actually. The grass is always greener right? So, I looked it up. Sadly, my little Metro-Detroit suburb of Utica did not have its own Top Ten list. But, our Mamma Detroit did and I'm sad to report that I've only been to 6 out of the 10 top sites to see. How about my college town, Grand Rapids? Well, they had a Top 20 list which of course included Founder's Brewing Company and ArtPrize. Proud to say I hit 12 out of the 20. But there's still so much more to see! So much more.

So, what am I saying here? I'm saying that local-tourism is exciting tourism. Go out! Meet people! Try new food! Sit in a park you've never sat in before. Even if you live out in the middle of the woods at the end of a dead-end road, I doubt you've seen every stick in the forest! Go explore! Living abroad has taught me that every day can truly be an adventure. Shake things up a bit, appreciate what you have, find excitement and beauty in your commonplace. Remember, what is normal to you might be new and exciting to someone else.

Never stop exploring. Cheers!