The Best Way to Explore a New City on Your Own

Start off early. I love waking up when no one else is awake and starting my day off taking photographs of the world around me without many people or cars in the streets.

Find a small business bakery or coffee shop. Ask them what their most popular item is and order it to try something new. I love to do this and pretend to “be a local”. People watching next to a window, journaling my thoughts.

Keep a map in your back pocket but wander without using it for as long as you can. I like to play this “game” with myself to try and get to know the areas better without needing my cell phone or a GPS. It also gives me a new sense of wonderment while strolling about!

Take pictures AND videos but also keep some time to take it all in without electronics. When I first set out in a new city, I try to find a balance between taking pictures and putting my camera away. Since I get excited to be in a new place, I tend to take a lot of photographs right when I get there, but after some time, I put my camera away to soak it all in myself. If I could rewind, I would take some time to focus more on videos in stillness, watching the world go by but I am also extremely thankful for the photographs I have.

Don’t let the little things bother you as much. If your train is late, or you forgot the wrong coat, you can’t find your way around, or it’s way too hot... all those little things don’t matter years from that moment. When I look back on different countries, I don’t remember all the small stuff that happened but I do remember the breathtaking moments that really “wowed” me.

PROTIP: Have you ever seen a plane and wondered where it was going?
FlightAware is a site where you can track flights in real time. It also offers an app so next time you see a plane, you can know where it's headed!