Be a Tourist in Your Own Country

What do you do when you go on vacation in a foreign country? Do you hang out in the hotel room, watching Netflix?  Or use the free week to catch up on emails? 

I’m guessing that you don’t.  For most people, traveling to a foreign country is a limited time opportunity to see sights and get to know culture that they can’t experience elsewhere.

When I travel, everything I encounter seems magical.  From the products in the grocery store to the local brand of nature, it all seems extra special.  I love listening to the accents of the locals, seeing the birds and animals in the wild, drinking the national beverage, and learning about the country’s history.  When I travel, the world I’m in seems fascinating.  I access an extra reserve of energy as I explore this new place I’ve gained admittance to.

If you live in Israel like I do, well then, you live in a country which many people are dying to visit.  Israel is an exotic tourist destination, a place that many people can only dream of traveling to. 

After many years of living here, Israel’s nature, customs, and people seem…well…normal.  But what if you look at them through the lens of a visitor?  What if you can visualize a world where the nature is profoundly exotic?  The accents, cute and endearing?  The street food, absolutely delicious?

See your country through these eyes, and you won’t want to stay at home watching Netflix (or catching up on housework, or email, or anything else).  Instead, you’ll use your free time to really get to know the country, from the mountains and deserts, to the fascinating history. Maybe you’ll finally get to that local trail you never seemed to find time for. 

And once you get there, wearing this set of glasses will enable you to experience these treasures in an entirely new way.  That local National Park full of ancient Biblical history becomes incredible.  That walk overlooking the holiest city in the world – it’s an experience you just can’t miss.

Wherever you live, don’t always live life as a local.  Take the opportunity to view your surroundings through the eyes of a tourist.  You’ll be grateful when you see what a charming and fascinating place you actually live in.

Don’t we live somewhere fun?

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