On Your Bike!
Today was the perfect summer day with a clear blue sky and little wind. Cicadas were chirping and all felt right with the world (although I know it actually isn't in too many ways to count!). I decided it would be the perfect opportunity to get out on a bike ride so I managed to drag my daughter along for a ride.
We bought bikes for the whole family for Christmas 3 years ago with the plan that it would be something we could all do together - and to get the kids outdoors and off devices more! My last new bike before that was 35 years ago and I must admit it is exciting to have one that is all mine and that the kids won't need to use as they have their own. Needless to say they have not been used often enough!
Today we left home and rode down several of the roads near our house where there are some stunning trees. We are fortunate to live in a beautiful part of the countryside with lots of trees and open spaces. We have owned land here for nearly 18 years and lived on our property for 12 of those and yet today was the first time I saw things I have never noticed before on roads I have traveled often. Being on a bike seemed to give 2 reasons for this - one was the ability to go to places that you don't tend to go in a car, the other was because it was at a much slower pace than in the car so I noticed far more things - even along the roads I drive frequently. I loved it! I felt like I was seeing my everyday world in a whole new way.
As I rode I found myself thinking about this a lot and was reminded of something I had read many years ago that goes something along the lines of "If you go to a place for a week you will see many things, if you stay a month you will see quite a few, if you live there a long time you will see hardly anything". I have often thought of this when I have traveled to other places and found myself wanting to see as many things as I can while there as I feel like it will be my only chance to see these things. Yet when at home I have the sense that I will be able to see things whenever I want to as they will always be there another day - hence no pressure to rush to see them. I know this is not true as the city near where I live was devastated by an earthquake nearly 10 years ago and things were lost that will never able to be visited again.
I challenge you to take a new look at the place you live or nearby districts and find new things to do and see. Walk, bike, take a bus. Look through the eyes of a tourist - even if you feel you don't live anywhere "touristy" remember where you are will always be interesting to the true traveler who loves seeing new things regardless of where they are. "Oh the places we''ll go!"
Where will it take you?
We bought bikes for the whole family for Christmas 3 years ago with the plan that it would be something we could all do together - and to get the kids outdoors and off devices more! My last new bike before that was 35 years ago and I must admit it is exciting to have one that is all mine and that the kids won't need to use as they have their own. Needless to say they have not been used often enough!
As I rode I found myself thinking about this a lot and was reminded of something I had read many years ago that goes something along the lines of "If you go to a place for a week you will see many things, if you stay a month you will see quite a few, if you live there a long time you will see hardly anything". I have often thought of this when I have traveled to other places and found myself wanting to see as many things as I can while there as I feel like it will be my only chance to see these things. Yet when at home I have the sense that I will be able to see things whenever I want to as they will always be there another day - hence no pressure to rush to see them. I know this is not true as the city near where I live was devastated by an earthquake nearly 10 years ago and things were lost that will never able to be visited again.
I challenge you to take a new look at the place you live or nearby districts and find new things to do and see. Walk, bike, take a bus. Look through the eyes of a tourist - even if you feel you don't live anywhere "touristy" remember where you are will always be interesting to the true traveler who loves seeing new things regardless of where they are. "Oh the places we''ll go!"
Where will it take you?
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