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The Exploratory Benefits of Walking and Public Transportation
My dad always told me his favorite way to explore a new place was to walk out his front door and get himself lost. As I got older, and he realized that I was actually going to take his words to heart, he began to add many more stipulations to exactly what was the best way to go about exploring (getting lost was no longer advised) but the basic element of self discovery remained. He also told me to always bring a towel, but that is not entirely his own bit of wisdom and another blog altogether. I have moved around quite a bit this past year. To me, the best thing about living in a new place is trying to figure out the new landscape. In this time I have honed and tuned my exploration skills and believe that there are two fail proof ways to get to know a town well enough to feel like a local!
I love to walk. I walk as much as possible and more than my feet really like me to I am sure. As I have no car, walking has played a large role in my transportation this past year. I walk to work, I walk to the grocery store and I walk just for fun. When I first arrive in a new city, I feel that walking is reading the city like a book. Since you are not moving around at any great speed, you really learn the streets that you are walking down. You know where there is a hole in the wall restaurant where the owner stands at the door all day long and knows everyone in the neighborhood. You know where the best parks are for reading and relaxing. You can name cross and side streets that no one else can remember the names of. You quickly learn all the short cuts that make you feel like you have a huge secret and when you get to share them with someone new you feel really cool. Or maybe that’s just me… I also love the sense of accomplishment that I feel when I walk myself to my destination. In walking, you are committing to getting yourself somewhere. I love it.
As much as I love walking, I also love public transportation; which I believe is the second best way to learn about a new place. On public transportation you are right there with the people who live in the community you are exploring. In places like DC, public transportation is the total norm. Everyone uses it because it’s just the easiest and most practical way to get around. In Jupiter, Florida, where my family lives, there is a lot less public transportation and it is not something that anyone who owns a car takes. In Fiji, the buses are all brightly colored, open air, and they blast music as they make their rounds; some even have encouraging or philosophical phrases on the front. I truly believe that if other places around the globe implemented these moving boom boxes the world would be a happier place. But anywhere you go you should ride on the public transport. Many times you see the parts of the city that you would never otherwise go to. The bus is not a direct one stop trip so you get to meander through neighborhoods and the more colorful parts of town. The bus can be entertaining as well and give you a taste of the local flair.
I am currently exploring the beautiful town of Fort Collins, in my original home state of Colorado. I have been here for several months now for my internship with Global Explorers, yet I still remain excited to walk under the beautiful blue Colorado sky in the warm months and the chilly winter (and take the bus when it’s just a bit too frosty). With the wisdom of my dad guiding me, and maybe Google Maps from time to time, I will hopefully be able to tell you all the great hidden treasures Fort Collins has to offer.
(Bottom right photo courtesy of Tyler Holtman)
