Be Curious like a tourist! 

The joy of holidays, a trip, or an adventure is a change from your day-to-day life. The routines we all execute on auto-pilot. Being a tourist opens up your mind to new horizons and possibilities. New experiences, foods, smells, sights. You feel different emotions, new emotions. You are in the moment, sometimes aware of what is around the corner or other times completely lost in the moment where surprise and joy life.

How joyful do you feel when you wake up and have a new day ahead filled with lots of things you love? You favourite foods, activities, and people.

The best aspect about being a tourist is you don’t need a passport to be a tourist. All you need is your curiosity and imagination. And a plan. Be curious in your own postcode, city and country! Chat to people – say ‘morning’ or ask your waiter or waitress how there day is. Connect with the community you live in.

This week I’ve been a tourist in my own city. It is a fun activity and brings you moments of joy. I have been enjoying new cafes, rooftop yoga with New York vibes and new cake. I even took a train from Glasgow to Edinburgh, then a bus from Edinburgh to the countryside to enjoy a art sculpture park. It was so much fun. I felt lost and alive. Not lost lost, but lost in the moment. With no expectations. Ready to be enlightened.

If you could – how would you spend a free day? What breakfast would you enjoy? Who would you spend it with? What activities or experience would you enjoy? How are you enjoying it? What is your favourite dish you may want to try at a new restaurant?

What can you visit or experience this week that will bring ‘curious’ joy into your life?

• Look online for festivals or local community events in your area
• Visit a new café or restaurant – see it as a treat. What cuisine do you love and reminds you of your favourite trip, holiday or country?
• Design and enjoy an adventure. Experience:
  • New walk – be bold and choose a different route with no destination in mind,
  • New bike ride route – explore a new cycle route
• Enjoy a day out
  • Museums are great for the family
  • Make a picnic and visit a new park space
• Recreate that dream holiday
  • Watch a movie from that country
  • What cuisine is associated to that holiday – cook a meal
  • Enjoy music that takes you back to that holiday
  • Reflect back on photos – nostalgia

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” – Walt Disney