I'm sick of staying...

The other day I had a, I'm not sure what you'd call it... maybe a 'realising how lazy I am experience'. I was sitting down with my good friend Steph, who lives a mere 20 minutes away in Maroubra, and she began talking about her area. As she was talking about the suburbs nearby, I realised I actually knew nothing about that part of Sydney. I mean I know there are beaches around there but apart from that I drew a blank.

I then started thinking about how much I knew about the other areas of Sydney apart from my inner west bubble. Again... blank. 

I'm sure many people are in this situation no matter which city you live in. For some reason we just don't travel far outside our home ground. We like things at our home ground, that is why we live there. One reason for this could be the absolute annoyance of public transport (ever seen that scene from Seinfeld where Elaine is on the subway screaming in her head, that's me) but another reason I know I, at least, don't go far is because it is just such an expensive, tiring hassle.

Source: To Start a New Thing

My friend Amanda and I used to get all ready to go out for girls nights, hair did, dresses on and then somehow we would end up drinking and smoking on my balcony and then falling asleep. We were wild ones I tell you! It was just such a hassle.

But then thinking about this I asked myself, so what? Which evidently is one of my Mums new catch phrases, apparently it stuck.

So I typed into Google, "Why do we stay?" A number of things came up:

• Why do we stay in boring jobs?
• Why do we stay in abusive relationships?
• Why do we stay in overcrowded cities?
• Why do we get wrinkly when we stay in the bath? (not sure if this one relates)
• And the most elusive - Why do we stay the way we are?

Well, apparently we are all just a big bunch of stayers (even if it means getting wrinkly).

So I've made a decision, now that I am on holidays for the next month I'm going to be a non-stayer. Oh yes you heard right, I'm going to go against every fibre of my being and purposefully do things and go places. Is that gasps and shocked faces in the audience? Yes, I'm kind of scared myself.

So below is a list of the places in my OWN CITY that I never go but WILL go over the next four weeks, anyone is free to join me to anyone of these places should the mood strike you:

• Paddington for coffee and a bookshop peruse 
• Kings Cross for a night out
• The North Shore for... well I'm not sure what happens on the North Shore yet
• Maroubra to see Steph's apartment
• The Gallery to see the Archibald Prize
• Blacktown or Cabbramatta to get some yummy food
• The Blue Mountains to go for a bush walk (this one's a little crazy I will admit - exercise?)
• Bondi Markets
• Catch the ferry to Manly and have an ice cream on the beach 
• Watch the buskers at Darling Harbour
• Walk across the Harbour Bridge (not climb over it, I can't afford that)

So there you have it, I know it's a pretty generic list but that's the point of the whole thing. Now I have put it out there for people to see I better do it or things could get awkward. I'll let you know how it goes.

Also if anyone has some suggestions for things to do that I have left out leave a comment at the bottom of the page, if you want to do any of this with me then awesome, let's go, not stay.