Getting Inside a New Destination

I like to get beyond the “10 Things You Must See” in each city mentality, and try to find something more real about my experience on the ground.

My first 24 hours in a city are usually the most interesting, because I’m still riding the high of exploring a new place. Every little thing that’s different and novel makes big First Impressions.

After that time is done, and I spend more days getting to know a city’s people, streets, and rhythms, I try to get into Local Life as much as possible. I stay in local apartments/houses, family-owned hotels, talk to people I meet in coffee shops, bars, the street, and try to discover what the locals do and where they hang out.