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Moving Abroad Survival Tip #2: Be a Tourist in Your Own Town.
One of the best parts of moving abroad is getting to experience a foreign city as a local. Actually living there, day in and day out, lets you see a city from a local’s perspective.
But this also means that you aren’t out there, map in hand, covering the city like a tourist. You have great intentions to go to all of the museums, festivals, and hot spots, but then the day to day stuff gets in the way. You know the deal…work, school, grocery shopping, cooking dinner, laundry…all the same things that make you a local, keep you from getting out and exploring.
When you travel somewhere, you have none of these obligations taking up your time. You dedicate a few days (or more) to really experiencing the city and all that it has to offer. And in these few days, you end up knowing more about this city you are visiting, than the city in which you live.
So why not be a tourist in your own town?
Set aside a weekend every once in a while, and visit all of the spots you have been wanting to see. Eat out. Go to museums. Act touristy. Whether you live in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, or a top tourist destination in Europe, I guarantee your town has a ton to offer.
After nearly a year and a half, I finally did just that. I spent an entire weekend as a tourist in Vienna. I explored new neighborhoods, spent time in museums and art galleries, went to restaurants that had been on my bucket list for ages. And I fell even more in love with the city that I currently call home.
