It’s surprisingly refreshing to experience a familiar place from a fresh perspective. Having grown up in Seattle, I’ve driven the roads between the U-District and South Lake Union countless times. But today was, after 21 years, my first time cycling through them. I brought a friend and my camera along for the ride, and it was great to be a “tourist in our own city” as we looped from Gasworks to the Fremont Bridge, around Lake Union, and across the University Bridge.
I’m always amazed at how much more motivation I get to explore when my time in a space is limited. Away from home, I’m constantly eager to go out and interact with the space around me. At home, I’m content watching Netflix, working on my website, and staying holed up in my house. But why is that? There has to be a psychological term for this; where we become comfortable in our surroundings and lose our curiosity in the world around us. The novelty, magic if you will, diminishes as the extraordinary becomes ordinary.
I’ve come to view this notion as something that applies beyond cycling and experiencing your hometown. Some of the most interesting ideas come from unfamiliar ways to experience the familiar.