TOURIST EXPERIENCES IN YOUR OWN CITY

When I ask people what their biggest challenge is in traveling more, two answers are unanimous: money and time.

True, traveling is not a cheap thing to do and often takes time. No matter how many strategies you have, you still have a financial expense.

And we usually don't have enough free days to go on a long trip: we have vacations once a year and some long weekends. At most, a weekend.

I was frustrated by this too! Because I would eventually get the money, but I couldn't quit my job to travel.

And that's when it hit me: what do I do when I travel? I get to know the points of interest, the gastronomy and the history of the places I visit!

And why not do this where I live?

This opened up a whole range of amazing options!

We always think: “Oh, but there’s nothing to do where I live...” Is that really true? Or is it that we don’t go to places in our city because they are always available to us and therefore we don’t value them?

Let me be honest: I live in São Paulo! Guys, how come I spent the whole weekend saying I had nothing to do?

When I flipped that switch inside me, São Paulo became huge! So huge that today, there aren't enough days to do everything I want in my city!

So much so that I occasionally take advantage of my lunch break to visit something: a restaurant, a tourist attraction or just take a stroll around! Exactly what I would do if I were traveling to another city, state or country.

Because traveling is more than taking a plane, a car or a bus! It's about having experiences!

So much so that people always ask me: how do you manage to travel so much?

Because I am having rewarding experiences in my everyday life, in my own city. So, it really feels like I am always traveling, both for others and for myself!

And the great thing: without spending so much money and needing so much time!

A great tip: take a free walking tour in your city. It’s a “free” guided tour. At the end, you decide how much you want to pay the guide. It’s a cheap way to learn more about the history of your own city!

In the city of São Paulo, there are several companies that offer free walking tours! But even the city's Tourism Department has understood the importance of this and has started offering several free guided tours (which you don't even have to tip the guide afterwards) in the Vai de Roteiro program.

And having this vision made me start writing and talking about São Paulo! And I fell more and more in love with the city where I live!

And you? Have you stopped to get to know your city?