you'll need air in your tires and wind in your sails for this one. i believe that one of the best ways to learn your city is to go about it a different way. routine makes life predictable and helps us settle in to the places we call home, but it can put us in a rut. if you've just moved to town or a new part of the city, how will you get to where you need to go today?

for once this summer, try a different route, even if it's a few minutes longer. you just might discover something new. you will see new faces and new places that internally jolt your senses to refresh you. 

this is a fun way to mix it up a bit. if you typically drive to the store, consider walking. if you walk for exercise, consider biking. it’s convenient to take the car across the bridge, but we have taken the ferry before. if you normally take a right out of your driveway, take a left. if you typically take the highway, drive through town.

some of you live in really hot climates and the thought of transporting yourself from point a to point b without a/c sounds like an absurd idea. others of you live miles from town. don't sweat it. do this activity at dusk - walk to a neighbor's house and say hello. (bring popsicles.)  

i decided to walk to my neighborhood street of shops and do my errands rather than getting in the car to go to the big stores. i got some keys made at the local hardware store and met joseph. this doesn't always happen, but we quickly started talking about our faith because i mentioned my son's name. what i would have missed if i went by car to the big chain store!

on my way home, i noticed a cafe had a new awning up. i stopped by to give them a compliment. they weren't busy, so i chatted about how much our airbnb guests love their coffee, but that it was my first time inside.

compliments are a rarity among strangers. this means we have to move past a "hello" and converse in order to notice.

the owners were so touched by the compliment that they printed up menus for our guests who can mention they are staying with us and get a cup of coffee with their purchase! 

all of this on a walk rather than a drive-by. because we see differently when we change it up a bit! 

what's your idea of getting around this week or next? you've got this! 

#lovewhereyoulive

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