Learn to see the world

For a while now I've been dreaming about being a digital nomad. I'm working remotely and all I need for my work is my notebook. But if the location from where I'm working doesn't matter, why should I stay at the same place? The thing I miss most about travelling is to leave my smartphone at the hostel, walk directionless until I'm lost and to find my way back to the hostel. Doing this gives you a great sense of the place you're visiting. I love the idea of repeating this every one to three months in a new city.

This week I was visiting Hamburg. I've been to Hamburg a few times, but this was the first time I explored it on my own. One thing I saw was the Gängeviertel. Once a living quarter, the buildings and houses there were left empty for a long time. When an investor's project threatened to demolish the buildings, the site was occupied by a group of artists and activists in an attempt to preserve this piece of history. Today it prides itself on being a cultural artistic space for all of Hamburg. I looked up its history to write this post. All I took away from my visit was that it looked nice.

Visiting a new city is fun and exciting. But when living in a new city every month or so becomes a routine, the novelty factor will loose its charm. What's left is seeming many places without understanding their history or what makes them unique. I want to learn more about the places I visit. And I don't have to travel to learn how to do this exploration.

I've been living in Berlin for about seven years. I don't feel like I know the city. Most of what I know from it I know from visits before moving there. When I'm asked for recommendations for weekend trips, all I'm coming up with is the name of my favourite burger restaurant. Since moving there I never went to a museum. The only non-tourist spot I know is the café on campus where I spend most of my time as a student. There are many ways how I can get to know Berlin better.

One day per week I can do an excursion. Do something I never did. Buy a camera, read a few books about photography and learn to look at my surroundings in a new way. Walk around, observe, and write about what I notice. Start to learn about the city's history. Who are the architects that shaped how the city looks like? Berlin has 12 distinct boroughs. I know maybe three of them. Spend some time in those I don't yet know. And start to look for the secret spots, the cafés and parks only long-time residents know.

I want to travel and see the world. But I can learn how to see it right at my doorstep.