We don’t exactly need to go ranging off into the horizon in order to find that much-needed dose of adventure that we need to survive modern life. Besides, aren’t you just tired of being at the receiving end of everyone else’s generosity? Wouldn’t it be a good idea to pay that generosity debt further on?
We believe that every mindful traveler should not only see the world through his travel lenses only when he’s off on a trip far away from home, but also within the confines of the places he already knows and calls home. In that regard I found that giving other people tours of the places I’m already familiar with, because I live there, provides us with some unexpected fringe benefits.
You get to see your hometown through someone else’s eyes.
Do you think your hometown is boring? Unless you have the privilege of living in a cosmopolitan city or a mayor tourist site, I’ll bet you do. Even so, most people probably think of their hometowns as boring places you wouldn’t set foot in unless it were to visit friends and family, not necessarily because there isn’t anything to do, but rather because it’s all they’ve known for a long time.
After all, variety is the staple of any diet, and that’s certainly applicable to travel. We are likely to grow bored with the same old things, and isn’t that one of the many reasons why we choose to travel in the first place?
By taking someone out to tour the local sights, without regard to whether they’re just a college friend visiting your hometown or they’re a foreigner who is barely getting to know the country, doing this will give you a fresh perspective of where you live. We tend to be constantly seeking new places instead of appreciating what we have right in our backyard. Someone’s boring old town can be someone else’s dream.
You can actually give your old haunts is a new twist and thus freshen them up through a newcomer’s eyes. Exploration starts at home and seeks to range further and further out, usually not the other way around.
You make new friends.
We’ve talked about building up your travel network and what better way to generate some credible travel rep than by showing other wanderers around your own area. Who knows? Maybe someday, when it’s your turn to be the one touring someone else’s home, they’ll pay you back by showing you their own home.
Showing someone around demonstrates that you’re also a part of the travel community. And no, we don’t just mean all those Facebook groups you’re in, but rather that you’re connecting with people on an individual and personal level.
What better way to explore the world than with some company?
It feels good to show someone around.
We always seem to love talking about ourselves don’t we? I’d like to think that, therefore, we also like to talk about the places where we’re from, especially if it’s with other like-minded travelers.
Take the time to show off the places you know!
Being openhanded with your time, knowledge and maybe even a few beers to someone who’s coming in from somewhere else (someone who travels is always vulnerable or at a disadvantage in some way) is an act of generosity and kindness, which is its own reward isn’t it?
Helping someone out always feels good.
Maybe you’ll learn something.
Taking someone out and explaining all sorts of concepts, ideas, histories, and other such abstractions forces you, in a way, to learn about those very same things.
So taking someone around and answering his or her questions, might just make you think more about the place you call home as well as deep in your perspective and viewpoint on your own local customs, ideas and traditions.
An external perspective will deepen your sense of understanding of the place you call home, and can also help expand and broaden your mind.
It’s fun.
Showing someone around your hometown can make for a very fun and pleasant experience. It’s very likely that you go through some sort of cultural exchange, which I think it’s always fun.
On the other hand you never know what sort of new adventures await when you see things from a fresh perspective. So make a point of embarking on this social new adventure. The sky’s the limit to the fun you might just have!
Have you ever given a tour of your town to someone else? Think it benefits you as a person and as a traveler in some other way? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!
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