I was sitting at my favorite watering hole one night, when someone passing through asked the bartender about getting out and seeing some of Birmingham local life. The bartender responded, characterizing Birmingham activity with what has become one of my favorite phrases: “People in Birmingham love being tourists in their own town”
This characterizes a lot of the travel I do. In general, I prioritize who I am with over where I go or what I do. This means that I end up in places that I wouldn’t have gone to otherwise. As it turns out, though, it means that I get to do some things I would never have otherwise. Because when I visit friends, the visit is often a mix of going to their favorite places while trying new things that I’d like to do. As a result, I turn everyone into tourists of their own towns, bringing them along when I do the things I want to try when I’m in town.
I’m not a travel junkie — I can’t imagine selling my house or quitting my job to travel — but I do travel more than the average person. While I love traveling solo, internationally, and touristy, being a tourist in folks hometowns is just as exciting for me. It’s a lot less glamorous, but it’s just as much fun!
One of the advantages to this attitude towards travel is that it’s rather thrifty. When I do this, I often go somewhere for at least a week. That lets me spend two weekends wherever I’m going (minus some travel time) and during the week I continue to work. No one has to take time off work for me, and so my vacation time gets saved up for other activities. Granted, that’s enabled by being a remote employee who can work anywhere, but I hope this privilege gets extended to more after this pandemic as we realize that working away from the office can be equally productive! I stay with friends, and we often cook at home for part of my stay.
Even when I travel to places more traditionally touristy, it still feels like a bonus to live like a local. I love finding where my friends get sushi in LA, or hotpot in NYC. And it’s a lot of fun to see the world through their eyes.
