The art of finding shit to do

Over the course of many weekend getaways and long-haul adventures, I’ve picked up a few tricks for discovering the best things to do once you arrive at your destination. I've done my best to codify my process (in no particular order) below:

• Start with the high-priority stuff: I usually try to have a short-list of activities that I absolutely want to do and foods/drinks that I absolutely want to try before embarking on any trip – each morning/evening, I typically pick one or two of these to anchor each day.

• Plan around your commute: Your commute is a great opportunity to fill time and find things to do. No, I’m not saying that I ride the subway back and forth to fill time. What I mean is that I like to leave built in ‘buffer time’ in my commute to walk around, take a few wrong turns, and potentially discover an interesting activity/restaurant for later (or now).

  
  

• Talk to people: This may be a foreign concept for some, and may be explicitly against advice you heard as a child… But chatting with folks about the area and what they’ve enjoyed is a great way to source hidden gems. If strangers are daunting, try a quick message to friends who have been in the area before or asking the front desk of your hotel / the bartender at whatever dive you’ve found yourself in.

  
  

• Have ‘back-pocket’ activity(s): Try to find something that you know you’d enjoy regardless of where you are. Do you love watches? Great, worst case you can track down a watch shop near you. Traveling with a group? Find a nice bar/coffee shop to post up and reflect on the trip so far. The key is to have an activity that doesn’t feel like you’re doing something for the sake of doing something.

  
  

• Be comfortable with doing nothing: The biggest mentality shift for me regarding travel, and one that I encourage you to internalize, is that it’s OK to take a couple hours or even day to recuperate and just wander without plans. For me, downtime can be a great chance to research/schedule additional activities, record my thoughts about the trip so far (this blog doesn’t write itself), or even just to take a nap to make sure I’m fully present for my next activity.

  
  

• My last-ditch solution: I’ll be honest, I still occasionally find myself grasping for ways to fill my time. But there’s one solution that always seems to work for me. Drinking (kidding...). I find a great way to get to know a city is to pick a direction on your maps app and just walk. A bit like how I think about my commute, this is a great opportunity to see parts of the city you wouldn’t otherwise see, and potentially find something new to add to your short-list. I've found some of my favorite shots during these walkabouts.

DISCLAIMER: Make sure to research dangerous areas around your planned stomping grounds. Getting mugged because you aimlessly wandered into a crime hotspot would NOT make for a fun trip.