Frolic in a Neighborhood
Exploring a new neighborhood is a fun way to spice up your routine. People tend to stick to their same areas, even driving around town via the same roads, visiting the same parks or restaurants. Some people don't even walk or drive on different streets in their own neighborhood and only stick to the fastest routes home and stay in the house.
I love to walk. I also love to drive, but I don't have a car these days, so I either take the bus, metro train, or walk around town which are all circuitous methods of travelling. Often, I see a new shop or statue that I had never noticed before, or pass a park that I'd like to visit when I have more time.
In the past, I would walk around my neighborhoods exploring new streets and invariably, something fun would happen. Once, in High School, my little brother and I were walking down a street perpendicular to ours and we came across some children playing in the yard. The oldest was about my brother's age, 8, and the youngest 3. We all chatted and hit it of swimmingly. From then on, we'd make a point to bump into each other and eventually, I became their nanny. They were the best family I have ever worked for, and I still keep in touch with them ten years later!
Another day, I found a park I didn't know existed. It became my ideal destination on my walks and the site of my 19th birthday party. When I moved to Tucson, in those neighborhoods, I discovered historic houses, new restaurants, murals, community gardens, roadside memorials, and came across funny critters, or interesting plants and architecturally fascinating buildings.
A fun aspect of exploring your own neighborhood or an unfamiliar one, is discovering the different vibe or design of each area. Your city, suburbs, or small town suddenly become less of a faceless swath of humanity in their cookie cutter houses and more of an intimate, unique array of sub-regions.
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