The vacation mindset and why it’s worth a try.

Many of my friends and acquaintances over the years have constantly bashed or talked poorly of the city of Edmonton. There were even those T-shirts around that read: “Still in Edmonton” and I was never sure how to take those. Maybe it is my generation, or just a smaller group within my network. Either way, I always found it very interesting that many people were always in search of “something better”. I agree that wanting better for yourself is generally a good thing, it can force you to grow or learn something new, take a risk, etc. And don’t get me wrong, I definitely understand that being by the beaches, having nicer weather in the winter, and all of those things sounds awesome. I think the point (at least for myself) that is always missing is: that you have to try and make your situation positive no matter where you are - it all starts with you.

Think about what you do when you go on vacation? The first thing you do is search up where to stay, you find the coolest spot you can find within your budget. You then search up new restaurants to try, you google the coolest attractions, you read reviews about the best pub or find an article laying out all of the underground spots to try in the city. You have never been to any of these places so you don’t have any existing favorites that you default to, everything is new and exciting. The point I’m trying to make is that when you’re on vacation you have to put in the effort to figure out how and where you’ll spend your time.

And that is an idea that I have really tried to keep top of mind in my own life as of late. The effort has to be put in no matter what you’re doing or where you’re living. For example, if you move to Vancouver from Edmonton because you want to be close to the beach that's great, no judgment here, in fact that sounds pretty nice. However you’d still have to check the weather, pack up your beach goods, and plan to actually go to the beach. If you don’t put in that effort chances are you may end up in a similar routine that you were already in before moving. Sure you live closer to the beach than you did before, but if you never actually go to the beach what's the difference?

My point is that no matter where you live or what you’re doing, incorporating a “vacation mindset” may be very helpful to enjoying where you’re at. When was the last time you tried a new restaurant in the city? When was the last time you went to the WEM water park? Have you ever stayed at the Fantasyland Hotel in a theme room? Have you ever gone to warm up at the Muttart Conservatory in the winter? What about taking a walk down Whyte Ave and checking out some stores that you’ve never been to? Did you know that there are multiple beach spots along the river valley, and some have really nice sand!

All of these are activities people would do on vacation if they were visiting Edmonton. So why not try some yourself?

Think back to memories you may have from a vacation, what are they like? Maybe you had an awful meal at a new restaurant and it was terrible, but hilarious! Maybe you went with some great friends and that was what made it special. These memories are great indicators of either fun or memorable times, and isn’t that the good stuff? So why not try to approach your current life, where you currently live, the exact same way?

I’m no life coach, psychologist, or motivational speaker. I probably don’t have any reason to be giving out this type of advice. I’m just an Edmonton REALTOR® who loves this city. But if this idea resonates with you at all, try to implement this “Vacation Mindset” as this New Year begins. I think the more we put in the effort to explore and experience our own city, the more we end up appreciating it.