June 3rd 2018
You don’t have to go far to find adventure~ (enjoy a beautiful collage of photos almost all taken within 20-30 minutes of my house as proof!)
When discussing travel, people tend to think of distant places around the world. When I say I am an avid traveler, one would think that means I have backpacked through half of Europe or explored scattered places throughout the globe. However, no one ever said that traveling had to be international or extreme to be valid. Sometimes, the best adventures are the ones you find close to home!
If you don’t believe me, try planning yourself a “staycation”. Take a look around at what your home has to offer and reap the benefits as if you are a tourist seeing this all for the first time! I have an Exploring Home series where I play tourist in the place I call home and see what I can find.
But you may be saying to yourself, “where I live is really lame and no fun at all” which is where you are completely wrong. A simple google search for points of interest can send you into a whirlwind of new activity ideas and places to check out. You may even discover something awesome that was under your nose the whole time!
I’m from Long Island, New York which makes me feel considerably lucky in the realm of staycationing because there is so much to do. There are beaches and villages and vineyards (I don’t utilize them but they are there!), museum, parks, and more while still being a quick train ride to the city. However, it wasn’t until I started going out of my way to find new things to do that I realized the Long Island has so much more to offer than I ever knew.
My favorite source aside from Google and TripAdvisor is actually my friends. I feel like I have found the best places to hang out and visit from my friends. Asking people you have a lot in common with where they enjoy going is a great way to see how someone who is like-minded to you views where you call home! Thanks to friends, I have discovered awesome thrift shops, restaurants, beaches, parks, and more from just asking around.
Another great place to seek out like-minded people who know what is going on where you live is by checking out Instagram! Instagram has the wonderful feature of letting people add locations to their photos so you can see where they’ve been and how you can go there too. I discovered tons of beautiful farms to visit in the spring and fall from just looking at people’s Instagram photos. Instagram has also helped me get a feel for what kind of special events are going on in my area like carnivals, special exhibits, holiday themed festivities, conventions, and beyond! Keeping up with social media accounts promoting your area is a great way to be in the know.
So what are you waiting for? Start planning your staycation today and start becoming an elite traveler, right in your own backyard!
Jess~
JessofEarth 
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