Yes. On the surface, you may think that this bucket list idea is a super-lame goal….but, hear me out. {Besides I believe that any new experience could NOT possibly be lame, you should know that by now!}
How many of you have taken the same route to work everyday; you have the seven stoplights timed perfectly, you pass that same powder-blue house with cream trim that desperately needs a paint touch-up and all the folks outside mowing their lawns will always stop for a moment to wave?
Then you definitely need to break out of your monotony of your day-to-day life and this bucket list idea could be one of the simplest ways to do it.
You might also find that going on the same route every day could make you lazy on your drive, because you have memorized the route. To stop the monotony, it’s a great idea to try different routes to work, as you’ll be constantly using your brain and paying attention to everything that is going on around you. You might also find that the new way you go is a lot quieter and therefore, just a bit safer for your commute to work.
You would think that this bucket list idea would be the easiest goal on my bucket list, but when you only live 4 blocks from work it can be quite tricky.
To accomplish this mild adventure, I had to actually take the “long” route to my restaurant, which meant driving five blocks. Phew…it might take me 6 minutes to get to work today instead of the typical 4. I had never been down Oak Street before, I’m not sure why, but at one point I had to stop my car to take a photo of the cutest white cottage house that I would have never seen if I didn’t step out of the box today.
To sum it up, I added 2 minutes to my commute, saw two new cats, one memorable home and felt slightly renewed, at least for a few moments. Totally worth it.
Wow, you're right…that is totally random! Like you, I live near my job. I have a 3 mile commute that takes less than 5 minutes. My entire morning routine is schedule around getting out the door before the bus stop at the entrance to my neighborhood. If I'm even a few minutes behind, my typical 3 minute commute turns into a 6 minute one and it throws off my whole day.
I, too, only have about a 4 minute drive to work, but I find myself doing this too sometimes. There is this route to my job that is a LOT longer than the one I normally take (it adds about 10+ minutes) but it is a road that drives alongside this beautiful river that runs through our town and the drive itself is humbling.
At 7:00am (when I need to start gettin my butt in gear to drive to work), the water is like glass and you are almost ALWAYS guaranteed to see ducks and swans on it. The sun rises in the summer over the mountains and reflects on its surface, and the air is so fresh and dewy. I often take it when I have time to kill and/or need a mood pick-me-up. I am the same in that I believe ANY new experience is a good one and could never be considered "lame."
Have you taken this route since?
That sounds like a beautiful route! I have taken my “alternative route” since the first time and add a few other new ones to it too ;)