Tourist in Your Own Town

Don't let this economy get the best of you. Every night it seems the news is bad, at work it seems water cooler convos are blue, and during the day skies seem a little more gray than they should be. We're all tightening our belts, which is probably a good thing, but don't tighten so much that you squeeze out human nature's natural thirst to expand its outer limits and tickle its senses.

I'm not here to preach, but I am here to offer what's on the wall of my in-laws bathroom. Hanging amidst a sea of beautiful pastel leaf wallpaper sits a lonely frame with a few simple reminders for the day, "A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul." (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)

With that in mind, I'd like to offer this suggestion, be a tourist in your own town! My wife and I had big plans about how we would spend our time and money here in Japan with a new exotic world to tour. The economy has forced us to scale back a bit, but it hasn't stopped us from seeing as much as we can with what we have.

I'm constantly amazed at my co-workers reactions here in Japan when I explain places we went to over the weekend - a museum, castle, shopping district, restaurant, park, historical site, etc. I'm amazed because usually these co-workers say they have never been, or last went when they were in grade school. I shouldn't be amazed because I think we all fall into the same category with our own hometowns.

But, we shouldn't. There are treasures in every hometown. I think about my hometown in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I bet I could make an entire weekend getaway out of our nearby metropolis, Detroit. Go ahead and laugh, but then reconsider. With the DIA, Fox Theatre, Henry Ford Museum, restaurants from every corner of the world, Detroit has plenty to offer. But the point isn't to promote Detroit, the point is to remind you that there's plenty in your backyard. In this economy maybe you can't afford to fly somewhere exotic, but it shouldn't mean you scale back completely. Be a tourist in your own town.