Why it exists
Side Quests: You Don't Have to Lead a Boring Life Just Because You Have a Job
Somewhere along the way, a lot of us fell into a routine.
Wake up. Go to work. Drive home. Eat dinner. Watch something. Go to bed. Repeat.
Then the weekend comes, and before you know it, it's Monday again.
There's nothing wrong with having a routine. We have jobs, responsibilities, bills to pay, and people who depend on us. But having a normal life doesn't mean we have to live a boring one.
You don't need to quit your job, buy an RV, or fly halfway around the world to have an adventure. Sometimes you just need a side quest.
What Is a Side Quest?
If you've ever played an open-world video game, you probably know what a side quest is.
There's the main storyline, the thing you're supposed to be doing. But along the way, you discover all kinds of interesting distractions. Maybe you explore a hidden trail, investigate something unusual, or wander into a place you didn't even know existed.
Sometimes those little adventures end up being more memorable than the main story.
Real life can work the same way.
Your job, your responsibilities, and your daily routine are the main storyline. Side quests are the little adventures you choose to have along the way.
And the best part? You can start right where you are.
Your Next Adventure Might Be Ten Minutes Away
Think about how much of your own hometown you've never explored.
Maybe there's a road you've driven past a thousand times but never turned down. A hiking trail you've always meant to try. A tiny town half an hour away that you've never visited.
There's an entire world of interesting places hiding in plain sight.
Here are a few side quests you can try this week:
1. Take the Road You've Never Taken
On your way home, turn somewhere different. Skip the highway. Take the scenic route. See where a road goes.
You might discover a beautiful overlook, an old bridge, an interesting neighborhood, or absolutely nothing.
That's part of the fun.
2. Become a Tourist in Your Own Town
Imagine you're visiting your hometown for the first time.
Where would you go? What would you photograph? What historic buildings, parks, or landmarks would you want to see?
Visit somewhere you've never been, even if you've lived nearby for years.
3. Chase a Sunset
Find a place with a clear view of the horizon and make a point of watching the sunset.
Bring someone you love, or go alone.
No tickets. No reservations. No expensive equipment required.
Just show up and enjoy being there.
4. Explore a Town You've Never Visited
Pick a small town within an hour of home.
Walk its downtown. Visit a local coffee shop. Find something unusual. Talk to somebody.
You don't need an itinerary. Sometimes the best experiences happen when you don't have a plan.
5. Go Somewhere Just to See What's There
Find a trail, park, lake, or public space you've never explored.
Walk around. Ride your bicycle. Take pictures. Pay attention to the little details.
Give yourself permission to explore without needing to accomplish anything.
6. Document Something Ordinary
Not every adventure has to be extraordinary.
Record your favorite bicycle route. Photograph the changing seasons at a familiar place. Leave yourself a voice note about something interesting you noticed.
Years from now, you might be surprised by which ordinary moments mean the most.
7. Plan a Slightly Bigger Adventure
Maybe it's your first overnight camping trip. A longer bicycle ride. A weekend road trip. A hike that's been on your list for years.
Pick something that pushes you a little outside your normal routine.
Put it on the calendar.
Give yourself something to look forward to.
Collect Memories, Not Just Miles
One of the reasons I built GeoJSONic is that I've always enjoyed exploring and documenting the places I go.
I wanted a way to connect my experiences to the actual places where they happened.
Not another social media feed. Not another platform asking me to share everything with the world.
Just my own geographic journal.
With GeoJSONic, you can drop a pin somewhere interesting, record a route, attach photos or notes, and build a personal map of your adventures.
You can keep those memories private, revisit them later, or export and share them with someone else.
And because GeoJSONic is designed around files you control, your adventures aren't locked inside somebody else's social network.
But here's the important part: You don't need GeoJSONic to have an adventure.
The adventure comes first. The app is just a way to remember it.
Make Your Map More Interesting
Imagine looking at a map of your life a few years from now.
You could see the same handful of places you visit every week.
Or you could see dozens, maybe hundreds, of little discoveries scattered around your hometown, your state, and eventually the world.
A trail you explored on a random Tuesday.
A little restaurant you stumbled upon during a weekend drive.
A sunset you watched with someone special.
A road that took you somewhere unexpected.
None of those moments required you to change your entire life.
You just had to make room for them.
So here's my challenge:
Sometime this week, go somewhere you've never been.
It doesn't have to be far. It doesn't have to cost anything. You don't even have to tell anybody about it.
Just get out there and explore.
Your main storyline will still be there when you get back.
Life's too short to skip all the side quests.
GeoJSONic is a geographic journaling app for iPhone, built for people who love exploring, documenting their adventures, and keeping their memories their own.