The Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, the Eiffel Tower, Costa Rican beaches--these are destinations that litter our bucket lists. As young people, we hope to see the most beautiful and famous sites on Earth. Three out of the 10 new things we pin on Pinterest have "wanderlust" branded across a beautiful landscape. We dream of traveling Europe or hiking the most scenic landscape in America. And we should! It's important to go see the world, gain perspective, get out of your comfort zone, learn another culture. But our obsession with the ultimate get-away has distracted us from the adventure at hand! There is an exciting world to be experienced in the day-to-day.
5 Tips to Seeing the World Every Day
1. Meet someone new
Don't be afraid to talk to that person who sits next to you in American History every Tuesday/Thursday. They may look different than you, be in an organization you've never heard of, come from a small town while you grew up in Dallas--that's exactly why you should strike up a conversation. There is something to be learned from your differences.
2. Break your routine
You might be an avid 4th floor Evans Library goer, but why not get off your beaten path and try studying in the Student Center. Try a new restaurant, instead of going to Chick-fil-A for the millionth time this semester. Go grocery shopping at the local farmer's market. Straying from your every day habits is the perfect way to have an ordinary adventure.
3. Photograph or draw your surroundings
If art is your thing (or even if it's not), capture the typical things around you with a camera or pencil. Artistic expression is an awesome way to see regular things in a new light and find novelty in the mundane.
4. Read a book
It's hard to be motivated to read extracurricular books when you have hundreds of textbook pages to catch up on, but you can take it slow and learn something about the world from a biography, poetry, or a great fiction book. Reading what others have written is the best way to see the world from a whole new perspective.
5. Learn a new skill
Plenteous adventures are awaiting you in a beginner's belly dancing class, cooking through Pioneer Woman's cookbook, learning how to rollerblade, or trying stand-up paddle boarding on the weekend. Every time you try a new activity or pick up a different craft, you embark upon an exciting journey that takes you down a path you may never have seen before.
