Read my original writing on Medium︎︎︎- Surprises are good for you and how google maps can help.

Excerpt Below.

Surprises and Toursim

Over the past few months, I have been fortunate enough to travel to several different countries. Navigating unfamiliar cities and neighborhoods can be challenging for a tourist, and I often rely on maps to find my way around. However, I also enjoy simply looking out the window and taking in the sights and sounds of a new place without constantly having to check my phone or map to figure out where I am and where I should be going next.

It would be great to have a way to explore new places without constantly switching between looking at a map and the world around me.

During one of my trips, I was driving in SFO, staring out the window at the endless stretches of highway, twisting and turning, going inside tunnels, and passing by greenery. The scenery started feeling predictable until the greenery disappeared, and the Golden Gate Bridge emerged gracefully. The red shone under the light, the water sparkled, and I felt a simple emotion, perhaps a forgotten emotion — the feeling of Surprise.

I loved the experience of serendipitously coming across the bridge. I didn’t expect to see it that day, but it felt like a scene in a movie where they would reveal the gorgeous landscape after climbing a strenuous mountain. The idea of being surprised comes from a state when your mind is not overcome and overfed with information. It must be a little calm to take in the grandeur and emotion of experiencing a surprise.

Predictability

During my recent trip to Egypt, the grandeur and magnificence of all the buildings, structures, and history were magical. I was blown away by the royalty of it all. But every day, I saw the best of the best: the pyramids, temples, and shrines, and almost after eight days, my brain felt full. I wasn’t blown away; I was nearly expecting it. It felt similar to how my mind was being overstimulated with endless content from the media. It was tiring.