A Fun Game for a Staycation

So I’ve been KILLING it on my staycation writers retreat, (I’m averaging 6,000 written words a day!) but I wanted to talk about something else I’ve been doing that you can try in your own city.

See, I figured out that actually a big Starbucks is the best place for me to do my writing. It’s noisy, loud and I can focus like craaazy. (Quiet cafes on the other hand are terrible. If there is a couple talking, or a waiter watching a video on his phone it drives me CRAZY. I can’t block out just one noise, but I can block out a caucophany of noises. I think this is a trick I learned living in China.)

So just like any American City, there is a Starbucks on every corner. So, to make a game out of my writing I decided to get on a bus and just go. Since the weather isn’t horrifically hot, I want to go to parts of the city I have never explored before.

So, I get on the bus headed in some direction and get off when I want. Either because I’ve seen something interesting out the window, or because an unusual amount of people get off at a certain stop. (So there must be something good there, right?!)

It’s a crazy fun game. Once I decided to go all the way to the end of a bus line, over an hour away, and I ended up at the ocean! Another time I wandered around a park before sitting down to write. Once I found a weird side street with golden cows at the entrance.

I’ve even found a 6kuai (about $1) for 2 pieces of sushi place. I’ve been back there several times (an no I haven’t gotten sick!)

No matter where I end up I can find a Starbucks, or Pacific Coffee (or a small cafe) within 20 minutes of wanderings. And of course since I took the bus there, I can take the bus back. (I am now a bus master. Buses are kinda scary. Even in English the names of the stops are kinda incomprehensible, much less in Chinese. But now I’ve figured out a few hub stations that will always get me a bus back home.)

All Work and No Play
And of course I haven’t squirreled myself away totally. While I am avoiding friends (and missing out on a lot of dinners and activities) I decided that on weekends I can take a break from writing. I’ve done archery, eaten some new food and even got to hang out with an old friend!

So while you know I LOVE to travel, I’m having a good time exploring the new city I call home. Even if you’ve lived in your own city for years, there must be places you’ve never explored. So get on a bus and just ride until you see something that catches your eye. It’s a unique way to find some fun places in the place you call home!