Going Beats Staying Home
You Don't Have to See the Whole World to Start Seeing More of It.
“Must be nice.”
You've probably thought it at least once.
You're scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, or a travel group, watching someone explore the Scottish Highlands, sail through the Greek islands, or relax at a beautiful tropical resort.
The pictures are spectacular. The experiences look incredible.
And somewhere in the back of your mind, a little voice says, “Must be nice.”
You'd love to do something like that. But then reality enters the conversation.
Airfare. Hotels. Rental cars. Restaurants. Time away from work. The cost of everything.
So you keep scrolling.
But here's a question.
When was the last time you explored your own backyard?
I see people in travel groups planning eight-day vacations to England, Scotland, and Ireland, determined to see absolutely everything.
Everything?
I haven't even seen everything in my own county, and there are only about 50,000 people living here!
Somewhere along the way, we've started acting as though travel only counts if it involves an airport, an expensive hotel, or a destination impressive enough to make someone else jealous.
I think we're missing something.
Travel Doesn't Have a Minimum Distance
Don't misunderstand me. I love a big adventure.
There's something wonderful about exploring another country, experiencing a different culture, or finally visiting a place you've dreamed about for years.
But why should those experiences be the only ones that count?
A Saturday morning exploring a neighboring town can be an adventure. So can visiting a historical site you've driven past for years, discovering a new walking trail, or having lunch somewhere you've never been.
You don't need a passport to be curious.
And you don't need a seven-night itinerary to discover something interesting.
Sometimes the best thing you can do is simply get out of the house and see what's happening around you.
Our Saturday Morning Adventures
One of the things my wife and I enjoy is visiting farmers markets.
We have them in our hometown, and there are several more within a short drive. But it's also something we look for whenever we travel.
Some people collect refrigerator magnets or shot glasses from the places they visit.
We look for farmers markets.
Different towns, different vendors, different local products, and always the possibility of meeting someone interesting.
And if we find locally produced honey, there's a good chance a jar will be coming home with us.
One of our favorite places to spend a Saturday morning is Jacksonville's Riverside Arts Market, commonly called RAM.
We'll head down there and wander.
There are farmers selling produce, people making bread and pickles, local artists displaying their work, and vendors selling everything from candles to coffee.
There's a stage with local musicians, a variety of food trucks, and plenty of people enjoying the atmosphere.
It's dog-friendly, too. Sometimes we bring one of ours. Bringing both at the same time can turn a relaxing morning into something resembling a competitive sporting event.
We talk to vendors. We look at artwork. We smell candles. We pet dogs. We listen to music.
Sometimes we buy something to eat. Sometimes we just sit and people-watch.
Then we might walk along the St. Johns River. Some days it's a couple hundred yards. Other days it's a mile.
And here's the interesting part.
We've gone there and spent twenty dollars. We've occasionally spent more than a hundred.
But we can also have a perfectly enjoyable morning without buying much of anything.
The experience isn't waiting at the cash register. It's happening all around us.
A Little Jar of Memories
We have a small tradition when visiting farmers markets.
If someone is selling locally produced honey, we'll often buy a jar.
Five dollars, maybe ten.
And while honey is a favorite, we've also brought home coffee, sauces, and other goodies from vendors we've met along the way.
Honey stores remarkably well, so there's no rush to finish it. We often enjoy a cup of tea together in the evening, sometimes with a little something sweet.
And when we open one of those jars, it can remind us of the place where we bought it.
The market we wandered through. The person we talked to. A town we visited. An afternoon we enjoyed together.
We've even brought honey home from overseas.
Properly declared at Customs, of course!
It's a small purchase, but the memories can last much longer than the outing.
Not every souvenir needs to sit on a shelf. Some of them belong in your tea.
Sometimes the Best Experiences Aren't Planned
Recently, we went into Jacksonville to have lunch with our son, who's attending college there.
After pizza, we decided to drive down toward the riverfront.
We found a place to park, walked to the water, and caught the last fifteen minutes of the Blue Angels air show over the St. Johns River.
There they were, roaring overhead.
We hadn't purchased tickets or planned an elaborate outing. We simply happened to be nearby and decided to go take a look.
And we enjoyed a pretty spectacular show for free.
Another time, while exploring the area around the Riverside Arts Market, we walked into the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens.
It happened to be a free-admission day.
So we explored the artwork and wandered through the beautiful gardens overlooking the river.
No grand plan. No complicated reservations.
Just an opportunity we decided to take.
The museum offers designated free-admission days. It's worth checking the current schedule before visiting.
Not every day will reward your curiosity with an air show or a beautiful museum.
But you won't discover many unexpected experiences if you never give yourself the chance.
Take the Road You Usually Pass By
Sometimes we don't even have a particular destination in mind.
We'll take a road that runs parallel to the interstate, just to see what's there.
Old buildings. Small communities. Family-owned businesses. Places that time, or at least the modern highway system, seems to have forgotten.
Other times, we'll throw the bicycles in the back of the truck and find somewhere interesting to ride.
Or we'll look for a geocache, turning an ordinary walk into a little treasure hunt. If you've never tried it, Geocaching is a way to discover hidden containers using location clues, with free participation options.
We've also visited the El Faro Memorial at Dames Point Park, beneath Jacksonville's Dames Point Bridge.
The memorial honors the crew of the El Faro, the cargo ship lost during Hurricane Joaquin in 2015.
It's a quiet place with a powerful story, tucked beneath a bridge thousands of people cross without knowing what's below.
And it doesn't cost anything to visit.
Not every worthwhile experience is exciting or entertaining.
Sometimes it's about learning something, remembering someone, or discovering a piece of local history.
You don't have to go far to get away from your routine.
You Can Even Get Away Without Leaving Town
We've also spent a night at a bed-and-breakfast in our own town.
Was it free? Of course not.
But it was a little romantic getaway. A chance to spend time together somewhere different, without airfare, rental cars, or a long drive.
We weren't trying to pretend we'd traveled halfway around the world.
We simply wanted a night away.
And that's another misconception worth challenging.
An adventure doesn't have to last a week.
It can be an afternoon, a Saturday morning, a day trip, or a single night.
There's nothing wrong with a big vacation. But there's also nothing wrong with a small one.
Don't Confuse Someone Else's Highlights With Your Own Possibilities
Social media can be wonderful for travel inspiration.
We discover places we never knew existed, learn from other travelers, and get ideas for future adventures.
But there's a trap hidden in all those beautiful pictures and videos.
We're seeing the highlights.
A two-week trip condensed into forty-five seconds. The best views, the best meals, the most beautiful moments.
And sometimes we start believing that unless we can afford an experience like that, there's no point in going anywhere.
That's simply not true.
The family exploring a nearby state park isn't having an inferior experience because someone else is visiting the Grand Canyon.
The couple spending an afternoon at a farmers market isn't doing travel wrong because another couple is sailing the Mediterranean.
And someone enjoying a romantic overnight stay close to home doesn't need to apologize because it wasn't a week in Paris.
Your adventures don't need to compete with anyone else's.
They only need to matter to you.
And Yes, Sometimes Money Really Is Tight
I want to be careful here.
For some people, even a fifty-dollar outing is a serious expense.
Between groceries, housing, transportation, and everything else life throws at us, there are times when spending money on recreation simply isn't realistic.
I'm not going to suggest that skipping a few cups of coffee will magically produce an airfare budget.
And I'm certainly not suggesting anyone should put themselves in financial difficulty just to get out of the house.
But if you're looking for something to do, consider what's already available within your circumstances.
A free community event. A public park. A walking trail. A library program. A historical site. A farmers market where browsing is half the fun.
Some outings cost nothing beyond the effort of getting there. Others require transportation, admission, or a little spending money.
Choose what works for you.
And if this weekend isn't the right time, that's fine, too.
The point isn't to spend money you don't have.
It's to stop assuming that every worthwhile experience requires money you don't have.
You Don't Have to See It All
I keep coming back to those travel-group questions.
Eight days. Three countries. Twenty attractions. Can we fit it all in?
Well, you can certainly try.
But sometimes, in our rush to see everything, we forget to actually experience where we are.
And the same thing happens closer to home.
We drive past interesting places because we're in a hurry. We overlook local events because they're always there. We tell ourselves we'll visit that museum, park, or little town someday.
Then another year goes by.
I haven't seen everything in my own county.
I doubt I ever will.
But that's not a problem.
It means there's still something left to discover.
Put Down the Phone. Pick Somewhere. Go.
The next time you catch yourself watching someone else's vacation video and thinking, “Must be nice,” try something different.
Put the phone down for a while.
Think about somewhere nearby you've never visited. A market, a trail, a museum, a waterfront, a small town, or a road you've always wondered about.
Maybe bring a friend, your spouse, your kids, or the dog.
Maybe pack a lunch. Maybe stop for coffee. Maybe buy a little jar of local honey.
Or maybe just go for a walk and see what you discover.
You may not be able to take the trip you've been dreaming about this year.
That doesn't mean there isn't somewhere worth going.
Maybe it's across an ocean someday.
Maybe it's across town this Saturday.
You don't have to see the whole world to start seeing more of it.
Because going beats staying home.