How To: Feel Abroad at Home

If you're like me, the thought of jetting off to London or Paris to stroll the cobblestones and eat croissants is a constant daydream. Recently, however, I've begun to wonder how people who live in those cities feel. Do they find strolling by a boulangerie as romantic as we do? Do the double-decker buses even elicit a second glance?

I have begun to think about this question in relation to parts of my life. Are my daily routines the daydreams of others? Do women in Paris dream of bagels in Brooklyn or morning walks past the Capitol in Washington, DC? There are so many things we do in our everyday lives that we grow accustom to and forget to relish their uniqueness. And so, every now and again, I find it to be such a delight to take a vacation in my own city to remind me of its splendor. Here’s how:

1. Indulge in breakfast at a cafe (on a weekday!)

One things that makes traveling so enchanting is that you get to explore and take in all the culture and beauty around you while everyone else is simply going about their daily life. When abroad, you can wake up, put on a cute outfit, and spend hours sitting at a cafe as the working-world hurries by. It’s so simple and universal, but can seem like such a luxury, so why not indulge in this behavior at home? Wake up extra early some morning and spend an hour at a local cafe ordering scrumptious eggs and a pastry to go with your cappuccino. Bring a book or the newspaper, or simply watch the fast-paced world around you before you have to head to work and become a part of it yourself.

2. Set an itinerary

For me, there is nothing better than a weekend at home with my morning latte and a day full of putzing around the house doing chores and cooking for the week. I love this simple routine, but it is a routine and it becomes familiar. Even though you may be perfectly content with your routine and have grown to love it much like I have, we all feel wanderlust at some point. We take trips to break our routine and experience new things, people, and places. But the secret is, we can do this right at home, it just takes more willpower. Challenge yourself to mix it up and plan a weekend in your city the same way you would go about planning a trip abroad. Map out your day. Plan out your outfit. Choose a place to walk to for a coffee in the morning. Take in the sites. Visit a museum. Indulge in dinner out or buy some fancy farmers market groceries for a luxurious dinner at home. Just be sure to plan it all ahead of time just like you would a vacation, and experience your own city how others dream of it.

3. Hop on a bike

Renting a bike in a foreign city is the perfect way to see neighborhoods you wouldn’t be able to reach on foot. So what about your city? Is there a neighborhood you wish you have explored more, but it’s difficult to get to or just too far away from where you live? All big U.S. cities have bikeshare programs, so if you don’t have your own bike, rent one for the day and get exploring!

4. Revisit the touristy areas

Oh yes. We all have those sections of our cities that we steer clear from, especially during the beautiful spring months. Do you think Romans feel the same way about the Colosseum or the Pantheon? You betchya. So instead of constantly rolling your eyes at the tourists that don’t know to stand right and walk left on the escalator, take a day to revisit some of the areas that made you fall in love with your city in the first place. In DC, the areas are obvious: Georgetown and the National Mall. Washingtonians do all they can do avoid these areas during the height of tourist season, but there is a reason why these are touristy areas; it’s because they are beautiful and interesting. To always avoid them would be doing a disservice to yourself and your city. So instead of pushing through the croweds to get where you’re going, walk a little slow and take in the sights you once awed at.

5. Go out for ice cream! (or hot chocolate in the winter)

Is there anything that makes you feel more like you’re on a vacation than walking around with an ice cream cone? Nope. As a young professional in the city, the post-work happy hours get old fast. Instead of meeting a friend for a drink after work, suggest meeting up for ice cream in the summer or decedent hot chocolate in the winter. Changing your routine in this simple way will make you feel like you’ve stepped out of your world into somewhere new, even if it’s just a gelateria instead of a bar.