My hometown is Karachi, Pakistan. I'd lived there all my life until about five years ago when I moved away. I would return to Karachi every year, or even multiple times a year, but I didn't see those trips as vacations. Instead, it had always been a place to visit friends and family, one I didn't really think about as a tourist. I never thought to sightsee or think about the city's culture. As I drifted further and further away from the culture of my hometown, I started to see Karachi as a place to see, and not a group of people to visit.
This year, when I came to Karachi, I began walking around with a camera. I'm taking pictures of truck art, dhabas (roadside food stalls), traditionally printed cloth, landmarks, the coastline, graffiti and many other things I grew up around and was used to. Actually, below is a picture I took of some typical Karachi traffic.
I was also really enthralled by these four men, standing on the back of a truck. This really isn't an irregular occurrence.
My friends were really confused. "You look like one of those tourists, with the stereotypical camera strapped to your neck. You're local, why are you taking pictures like you've never seen this stuff before?"
Just because I'm documenting things, or behaving like a "tourist," doesn't mean I wasn't used to Karachi. It doesn't mean I'm an outsider. For me, seeing Karachi was just about taking in the magic of my city. Just because I live here, or used to live here, doesn't mean I can't sightsee or do things foreigners are supposed to do.
If you don't take in the magic of your city or see the "typical" things people who come a long way to see, you're missing out on a whole different way of embracing your home.
On another note, I don't know why the word "tourist" carries such a stigma. I think that's a discussion for another day, but I think I appreciate my hometown so much more after looking at it from this perspective.
It seems that people in other cities agree with me. NYC & Company (the official destination marketing organization for New York City) for example, actually launched a campaign called "See Your City" targeting New Yorkers to explore the five boroughs.
Also, the 2011 Happiness Challenge, or Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project, made one of their weekly resolutions to be a tourist in one's own city. This brings a whole new meaning to the idea of a "staycation." Instead of relaxing at home, it might be cool to "stay" like a local, but "vacation" like a tourist.
Although it isn't intuitive, touristing brought me closer to my hometown. If that's something you're interested in, maybe it can do the same for you.
