I'm not sure about you, but I am not in love with my current city.
In fact, if Jacksonville, North Carolina was a person I would recommend a good plastic surgeon.
The first business you see when you drive out of the front gate of the base is a strip club.
Not a nice one, either. No professional athletes or politicians here.
If you continue driving you will pass countless car dealerships, fast food joints, sad strip malls, sad strip
clubs and the ever present vultures of desperate service members; military financing and check cashing
establishments.
It's easy to become bored in a place like this and for a long time, I was bored.
It's Saturday night!! What do you want to do? Target, the 2000 square foot mall, or the movies? Maybe
we can head to the corner gas station/McDonalds and meet up with the rest of the street bikers!
Decisions, decisions.
Luckily, while browsing through blogs one day I stumbled upon a post (I don't remember what blog, but
it was rad) in which the author talked about living like a tourist in her own town.
I was intrigued.
So that very weekend we did some research and discovered a farmers market 30 minutes away. We
went and we loved it! We started planning weekend adventures for new places and towns to explore
and after living here for 2 years I actually started to like it.
For 2 years I drove past Goodwill, never once stopping.
It's now my favorite thrifting playground and I have found countless treasures there.
30 minutes away is a restaurant devoted to Marilyn Monroe, Elvis AND Christmas. My trifecta of
happiness and for years I didn't even know it was there!! How lame was I?!?
I know it can seem like you live in the most po-diddly-unk town on the map, but if you're looking for
adventure, you'll always find it.
In fact, if Jacksonville, North Carolina was a person I would recommend a good plastic surgeon.
The first business you see when you drive out of the front gate of the base is a strip club.
Not a nice one, either. No professional athletes or politicians here.
If you continue driving you will pass countless car dealerships, fast food joints, sad strip malls, sad strip
clubs and the ever present vultures of desperate service members; military financing and check cashing
establishments.
It's easy to become bored in a place like this and for a long time, I was bored.
It's Saturday night!! What do you want to do? Target, the 2000 square foot mall, or the movies? Maybe
we can head to the corner gas station/McDonalds and meet up with the rest of the street bikers!
Decisions, decisions.
Luckily, while browsing through blogs one day I stumbled upon a post (I don't remember what blog, but
it was rad) in which the author talked about living like a tourist in her own town.
I was intrigued.
So that very weekend we did some research and discovered a farmers market 30 minutes away. We
went and we loved it! We started planning weekend adventures for new places and towns to explore
and after living here for 2 years I actually started to like it.
For 2 years I drove past Goodwill, never once stopping.
It's now my favorite thrifting playground and I have found countless treasures there.
30 minutes away is a restaurant devoted to Marilyn Monroe, Elvis AND Christmas. My trifecta of
happiness and for years I didn't even know it was there!! How lame was I?!?
I know it can seem like you live in the most po-diddly-unk town on the map, but if you're looking for
adventure, you'll always find it.
7 comments:
Sounds like a huge adventure! :) Loved the post! I live in a huge city...but this sounds like a picture taking adventure!
♥
great post! I think we should start doing that cause I'm way over this little town I live in. I'm ready for something better. Time to break out a travel guide.
Love this post! I really didn't enjoy living in Jacksonville but I totally agree with you. If you live like a tourist you could totally find a lot of things to do! I would love to do that in New Bern when I go back next month :)
Awesome idea. And I heart Goodwill!
Seriously, you are talking about MY PERSONAL CREDO!
http://ckorea2323.blogspot.com/2010/12/im-back-and-i-saw-mansions.html
(Side note: truly, I am a woman of few capitalizations, but without the use of italics...I basically just scream all over the internet.)
YES! I honestly try to be a tourist all the time, stepping back to look around as if I'm new to the area. And you know what? Not only is the STUFF (here we are again) interesting, but people?
People are so weird. And hilarious!
Excellent, excellent post. :)
I love this reminder! Matt and I were sent to the one base that I said I'd never want to go to, and I've been amazed at how much I've enjoyed it. It's up to you to make the most of where you live!
If anyone is interested, I wrote a similar post last fall with tips on how to be a tourist in your own city and make the most of your location: http://ash-and-matt.blogspot.com/2010/10/are-we-having-fun-yet.html.
Love this post! You are so right that Jacksonville can be a downer. Goodwill has some great finds sometimes though and there are several great thrift stores :) If you haven't yet journey to Swansborro one weekend! They have a great pub down by the water and several other great restaurants.
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