Exploring means seeing the world for more than face-value. I’m going to walk you through some ways to see the world on a deeper level.

1. Put your phone down

Unless you’re using it to take pictures. But don’t be posting pictures on social media all day. Wait until the end of the day or the end of the trip. Focus on observing your world. Burning daylight is the opposite of being an explorer. Social media can wait.

2. Always carry a camera and a journal

Write down where you go and how many miles you travel. Take photos of something interesting at each place and everywhere in between. Write down what roads you take and what you see along the way: weather, animals, architecture, history, food, vehicles.

3. Acquire trinkets everywhere you go

Don’t just buy souvenirs. The difference? A souvenir is a cheaply-made toy, over-priced, and geared towards tourists with the sole purpose of gaining easy money. Trinkets are unexpected findings with sentimental value. This could include a menu from the most delicious hole-in-the-wall diner, a dried flower from a secluded meadow in the countryside, plastic vending machine jewelry from an old-fashioned general store, or a lapel pin from an antique market. You’ll always remember where you found each trinket. The odder a trinket is – the more memorable.

4. Wake up before the sun rises

Stay awake until the sun sets. Don’t burn daylight. Be outside as much as possible while the sun is up.

5. Take a back road every once in a while

Often times, back roads have the most interesting sights. You might see scenery that hints at the culture of the area. Let’s say: corn fields of Lancaster, PA vs. soybean fields of Blackiston, DE. Furthermore, if you spend enough time in differing areas, you might notice that Robins in Amish country wake up an hour earlier than Robins in the mountains.

6. Think of everything as alive and animated

Even an old, dilapidated building. Think about that building over a span of 100 years. It empties, erodes, falls, and disintegrates. Creatures move in and out periodically. Plants and animals are not the only things that move and change.

7. Converse with people

Ask questions. Go to a little diner, sit at the counter, and introduce yourself to the person next to you. “Have you lived here for a while? What do you do? What’s your most memorable story about this town?” You learn more when you ask questions and listen.

Be inquisitive about the world around you. Be an explorer.