Do you love where you live? It can be hard, especially if you feel stuck where you are. Thanks to Covid, I’m sure a lot of people have been feeling this way. I’ve had an interesting relationship with the place I currently call home. I moved from Green Bay to Scotland in 2018 and fell in love with Scotland HARD. When I moved back home to green bay it was hard not to compare Green Bay to all the wonderful places I was able to travel to.
I’ve found that by finding new things I love about my city I could enjoy where I lived a lot more. To be honest, the things I found weren’t new but they were new to me and that’s what mattered. I set out to find things that made me excited about living in the area. I looked for places, people, and businesses that made me feel connected to Green Bay. That’s when I started to love living in Green Bay again. If you want to love where you live, check out my tips below:
Find All the New Restaurants
Make it your mission to the ultimate foodie of your town. Make a list of all the restaurants that you know of that you haven’t been to. Then ask some friends or people you meet where there favorite food places are. Follow your chamber of commerce or local tourism office on social media and in the news to find out if new places are opening. Try places a couple of times and make little lists of where the best burgers, drinks, or desserts are in your town and share them with your friends and family.
Check Out Small Shops
When you shop small, you are supporting someone’s actual life dream. I’ve found that small shops always have thoughtfully curated items and often are supplied by local artisans! I have really enjoyed finding new places to shop whether it be for a new outfit or for gifts. Any purchase you make from a small business means so much to the people owning and running the business. I found three new boutiques over the weekend and I will definitely be keeping them in mind next time I have a special occasion that calls for a new outfit!
Do Touristy Things You’ve Never Done
Pick up one of those visitor guides in the entranceway of a local business and see if there are any touristy things that you haven’t done yet! This is a must, especially if you grew up in the area. Think museums, art galleries, bike tours, or hiking places! I’ve found that just because you live in an area doesn’t mean you’ve seen everything. Try looking at your hometown as a new place to explore and experience.
Go for a Tasting at a Local Brewery or Winery
Do you know what I love about breweries and wineries? There are a TON of them and none of them are the same! There are always new flavors to try, locals to meet, and a new outdoor patio to test out. I love finding breweries that are experimenting with sour beers or unique flavors! I will try any flavor once. It’s also cool to learn about how they make the beverage or what inspired them to make the new flavors.
Find Live Music
Another challenge: find live music somewhere! Whether it’s at a festival, a bar, or a farmers market, live music usually means a good time with plenty of things to do. Especially if you stumble upon a festival, then you’re near food trucks, festivities, and smiling faces!
Try to Find a Viewpoint That Shows Your City Differently
Whenever I’m traveling, I try to find a viewpoint that shows spectacular views of the place I’m visiting. By finding a new viewpoint you can literally see your city differently. Viewpoints can be in restaurants, museums, or in a park with a hilly landscape. By looking at your city from a different place, you might notice a new business, a park you’ve never been to, or you might just fall in love with the view.
Find a Hiking or Walking Trail You’ve Never Explored
New trails mean new views! I always look for trails with waterfalls, great viewpoints, or cool rock formations. The rock formations make for great pictures and so do waterfalls! I love taking new trails and looking at new natural wonders that I live near to. Have you explored all the trails near you?
Go on a Street Art Scavenger Hunt
I LOVE street art! It’s such an amazing way to learn more about the people that live in the city or just to learn about a new artist. Most street art in my area is commissioned which means the artists are selected and allowed to make something unique for people in the city to enjoy. The best part about street art scavenger hunts is that you can always find new art. Whether it’s because you’ve never walked down a certain street or more art has been commissioned, its cool to find new masterpieces just around the corner.
Get Involved in the Community – Volunteer
It took me a while to realize this one but I finally did after some reflection of my hometown. It felt like home there because I knew almost everyone and I was constantly in different school groups out in the community fundraising or volunteering. Volunteering really brings you closer to the local community and helps you to feel proud of what you’re doing for your city. It’s easy to get involved with local community groups, non-profits, and schools if you reach out! Volunteering shows that you care about or love where you live!
Pick Up Trash or Join a Beautification Group
This one is a reminder that earth day is coming up! Picking up trash is an easy way to volunteer without finding a group to join. It’s great to help our environment and helps to develop pride in the place you call home. Beautification groups help with picking up litter and also work on landscaping in public areas. The Beautification group in Green Bay plants flowers downtown before farmer’s markets start up!
Become a Regular at a Local Restaurant or Coffee Shop
This one is one of my personal favorites. Maybe it’s because I’m obsessed with café culture? I love being able to go to a coffee shop and be recognized by a barista. You get your coffee order or meal made perfectly every time and you get to support a local business! Having a regular spot can help you to love where you live.
Find a Local Farmer to Buy Your Produce From
This one took me five years. Buying fresh produce at a farmers market was easy to do but it was hard to find produce available all year round from local farmers. Just recently a market opened up in Green Bay called the Revolution Market that has Produce with Purpose as a permanent tenant. Since opening a booth at the market they now offer free home delivery of fresh local produce which makes quality fresh food available to the whole community! I’ve also looked into farm share programs where you can pay a fixed amount and receive fresh veggies every week. By buying from local farmers, you help to support them and you get high quality fresh produce!
Get involved on Social Media
Post about and tag your local businesses! By doing this you are helping to advertise their business to your friends and acquaintances. It shows that you really appreciate what they do for your community and the service they provide. By helping to advertise their business you are helping to support their business and to help them grow! Show off how you love where you live!
For more…
Thanks for checking out this article and I hope you fall in love with where you live again! If you liked this article, you may like my article titled 15 ways to take control of your life.
For People Living in Green Bay, Wisconsin:
Check out the links below of Instagram accounts for the best places to find more information about where you live!
- Green Bay Visitors Bureau: https://www.instagram.com/visitgreenbay/?hl=en
- Downtown Green Bay: https://www.instagram.com/downtowngreenbay/?hl=en
- Green Bay Restaurant Week: https://www.instagram.com/gbeatweek/?hl=en
- Bay Area Living Magazine: https://www.instagram.com/greenbay_living/?hl=en
Also check out the Creative and Ambitious Instagram Account:
