It's not a rut. It's just a well worn path.
I follow the tech journalist Mike Elgan on here, mostly for his weekend column of questionable technological developments such as, well, this…
But also because he seems to land in some new spot on the far side of the world to his last spot every couple of days.
He posted this a week or so back…
And I was gratified to see that like me, he finds himself returning to previous haunts whenever he travels. Although, unlike me, I doubt he actually haunts them.
I don’t move around as much as I used to, but when I did, I used to weirdly enjoy travelling thousands of klicks to end up at the same place, doing the same stuff over and over again. When in Melbourne I’d be at Kirks or Pellegrino usually ordering the same thing as last time. When we stayed in Hobart over winter I insisted on going to the same pubs and cafes I’d been to last time I was there.
I did some new things, of course. I don’t want to get divorced after all.
But I can’t be the only person who does this. I just can’t.
You're not the only person who does as you describe. I just read an article about a tribe of Neanderthals who lived in isolation in the same mountain valley for a hundred thousand years. Apparently, they didn't score any hot Neanderthal fresh genes from the next valley over for six digits worth of years for...reasons. On average, people of European or Asian descent have one to two percent of their genetic makeup from these unadventurous ancestors. So, people get this honestly. The Neanderthals didn't go extinct. They are us in modern hybrid form. Therefore, relax and enjoy your ungodly delicious Aussie coffee at your local haunt. You honor the ancestors by doing so.
There is comfort in the familiar, even if you're keen to explore new spaces. I've had to travel for work a lot the last couple of years and I find myself booking the same hotel each time I visit Sydney because it feels like 'home' simply because it's familiar and I've got the trains, the convenience store and other essentials sorted out, which gives me the confidence to go try new stuff while I'm there.
A visit to Haigh's for chocolate is essential though. It's how I pay my BFF for cat sitting.