Get lost

‘One of the great joys of Prague is finding yourself completely lost.’ ‘You don’t need to know where you’re going; wandering aimlessly is one of the best ways to see New York.’ ‘The winding alleys of Toledo will have you lost in minutes, and you’ll love it!’

Admit it. Every day you take the same bus to school or drive the same way to work. You see the same old things so often that you don’t even see them anymore. When was the last time you ditched the routine and risked getting lost?

It may cost you some time, you might have to get up a bit earlier, and it might sound like stating the bleeding obvious, but next Wednesday, you should go a different way. Walk a different way to the bottle shop, catch a different bus in the morning or get off at an earlier stop, get off the freeway and hit the city streets. It’ll get your brain moving. Go on, give it a try.

Get outside

When was the last time you went camping? It doesn’t have to be hardcore – there’s every chance your town has a campground (it might be disguised as an RV park, a caravan park, a state park, national park or reserve, or it might be your back yard) where you can pitch a tent and still have easy access to bathrooms and takeaway food.

If you don’t have a tent and no one among your family or friends has one they can lend you, try an outdoor gear or sporting goods store – many will rent you one for the weekend.

Even if you only do it for one night in your back yard, sleeping outdoors, hearing all the outdoor noises, breathing fresh air and waking up with sun can really reinvigorate you and make you feel like you’ve been on an adventure.

How about that local sports team?

Does your suburb have a sporting team? How about your local school? Find out when they’re playing their next game and what their name and colors are. Get some of your braver friends together, dress up in team colours and go to the game. If you’re feeling extra keen, or really want to enjoy the experience, make up some cheers to egg the team on. If you happen to have a soft toy representing the team’s mascot, why not bring that along too? The main thing is enthusiastic participation: you may be the only people there, watching some ten-year-olds play field hockey or some university students playing a casual game of flag football, but you should treat it like the Super Bowl or the AFL grand final.

If you can (and if their dads won’t beat you up), get the players’ autographs at the end of the game.

Road to nowhere

This expedition relies on your town having public transport. If you don’t even have a few buses, maybe you could spend the day lobbying your local MP for better public services instead.

If you do have transport, buy yourself a day pass and get on whatever bit of it goes closest to your home (if you have to drive somewhere more central and park the car, then go right ahead and do that). Stay on the bus, tram or whatever until it gets to the end of the line, or you see something you want to have a look at, or you get to a spot where you intersect with another route. Get off, have a look around, take some photos and pick up a few more suburban souvenirs, go into a strange cafe, shop or bar, then hop on the next bus that comes along and keep going. Continue until it’s dark, or you’re too bored to continue.

Try not to deliberately choose destinations. If you have a lot of buses, trains or trams to choose from, don’t read their destination sign: just choose the first that comes along. And remember to keep your ticket! You’ll want a souvenir.