Comments on: How to rediscover your hometown

By: » Spinning your wheels at home :: Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts Vagabonding Blog

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 16:01:40 +0000

[...] get me wrong; I love where I live. The ocean, the occasional foggy days and the weird quality of living in a rural community within [...]

By: Kami

Kami — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 04:30:42 +0000

Hi, Jill! Fun to stumble on your post! Last month I was back in my hometown visiting family and was convicted a bit about how badly I’ve done at exploring the place I came from. I’ve been enamored by the wonders of so many other places in the world but missed many of the wonders of the quite lovely place I grew up in. (I blogged about that experience here: http://kami-in-africa.blogspot.com/2009/11/roots.html) Thanks for your good tips!

By: bailey

bailey — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:07:30 +0000

Thanks Jill! This article really opened my eyes to my own hometown, Pensacola Beach, FL. I will definitely take your advice to good use and stop by the Sip and Sing Caroling Tour this friday. Im excited to rediscover my hometown, thanks to you!

By: Brett

Brett — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 22:27:39 +0000

Hey Jill, thanks for the shout-out!
#’s 1, 4, and 5–done this weekend (Bethlehem, PA is crazy busy during the Christmas season…).

By: Nancy

Nancy — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 17:39:14 +0000

Cool post. Rediscovering your hometown can be fun and cheap. Some of my favorite things I’ve done in my hometown is partaking in the cliche tourist stuff. For instance, in our downtown there are horse drawn carriages that give tours. I took one for the first time (24 years after living in the city) and had a blast.

By: Shalabh

Shalabh — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 06:23:08 +0000

>>Do you have any tried-and-true tips to add?

Actually yes. Try mapping your town/city with a GPS.

I have realized it is one of the best ways to see places you never knew existed. I have been living in a town in India for the last 3 months, often going out for treks in the Himalayas. 5 days ago, I just went out with my GPS for mapping this town (Mapping is a hobby for me). And God!! I saw obscure streets and neighbourhoods, a very old temple in a cave, an old ruin of a palace and a hilltop with a beautiful view of the valley below. None of these are publicized because it is not a touristy town. So, no one but those who live here ever discover these things without knowing that they know of something the world at large does not.

I am soon shifting to another town and the first thing I will do there is map it!!

By: prashant

prashant — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 10:54:19 +0000

You might discover that these events aren’t only for tourists, and learn something new about your hometown. Bowflex

By: Jill K. Robinson

Jill K. Robinson — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 05:32:28 +0000

Ted, yep, you figured me out. I live near Half Moon Bay. One of my favorite things about that festival is the pumpkin ice cream. Yum!

But I admit, I went to the fest when I was a new resident, and then not again until this year. After avoiding it, I wanted to get back to my local roots and find a way to appreciate the festival. The best way was to attend to pumpkin weigh-off on Monday before the fest. There are some locals who come to that event every year (for many years). I thought I’d be there for an hour at most. I left after four hours, hanging out with people I’d never met, in my own hometown, loving the weigh-off event. I’ll go back next year.

By: Ted Beatie

Ted Beatie — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 02:33:59 +0000

I think we were at the festival at about the same time, as I think that’s about where Farmer Mike was when we stood to watch! ( http://tedbeatie.com/blog/?p=1466 )

I totally agree that it’s too easy to get caught up in the routine and see only the smallest part of one’s hometown. If I’m walking from point A to point B, I might also try a different path – even if it’s just one street over, it will be different, and you never know what you’ll find!

By: Rod Smith

Rod Smith — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:49:36 +0000

Great post – its all about perspective, isn’t it?