When people hear “staycation,” they often envision in-house entertainment. Let’s expand that concept beyond the borders of your home. Some of my readers know I’m part of an organization that hosts an annual writer’s conference. A few years back, after a fun, but exhausting day of learning, a writer friend offered the faculty a personal tour of downtown Las Vegas. It was a blast! I saw the city in new neon lights and learned parts of my town’s history I never would have known. That experience inspired this week’s post. For week 32 of 52 Love, take your partner sightseeing in your own city.
Among the many benefits of playing tourist for a day, local sightseeing is a way to spend rich time together without spending all your silver. Instead of paying for travel and housing, you can invest in fun: tickets to that old haunted mansion (most of us have one), or burlesque museum fees, or indulge in edible souvenirs. Or cut all costs, pack a cooler, and cruise the local arts’ district.
You and your partner not sure where to go? Ask out-of-town family where they’d visit if offered a free weekend. Perhaps you have a well-informed local friend who can show you around as if you were new. Check websites that offer recommendations about what makes your town special.
View your city with fresh eyes and an open mind. It’s easy to take a familiar setting for granted, but try digging into its history. Who is responsible for its origin and current state? What are the stories that bind it? Rather than travel in the way you’re accustomed, change your usual transportation. Walk a path you typically drive. Register for a tour bus. If you’re in Vegas, take flight in a helicopter tour. By changing your method of moving throughout familiar surroundings, you and your partner may absorb the ambiance with an enhanced sense of setting and add a new dimension to your appreciation of your home base.
When you tour your own town, old knowledge feels new again. Long-forgotten details resurface. Many annals update with the times. Embrace the chance to connect those historical lessons with the city you both know and renew your relationship along the way. Take photos to preserve your fresh memories from your new experience with old places. Renew your love of the city and, with it, your love of each other.
If you try this intimacy tip or have a better recommendation, let me know in the comments. For weekly suggestions on how to show your partner love, sign up for my blog, 52 Love, in the sidebar.
