Skip the landmarks. Do this instead.

The 3 things I do in every city (that tourists never do)

Most people travel with a checklist.

The famous landmark. The restaurant with a two-hour wait. The photo spot they found on Instagram.

I did that too. And then one day I looked back at a trip and realized I hadn't actually experienced anything. I'd just checked boxes.

So I stopped. And I built three rituals instead.

I do them in every city I visit. They cost almost nothing. And honestly, they've produced better memories than anything I've ever booked in advance.

1. I find a yoga class

Not a hotel studio. Not a tourist-friendly spot with English instructions and a QR code menu.

A real local class.

In Sydney, I found out there's a free community yoga session in a park under the Harbour Bridge on Sunday mornings. No reservation. No fee. You just show up. I rolled out a mat next to people who do this every weekend like it's nothing, with one of the most iconic views in the world as the backdrop.

Nobody was performing for a camera. It was just people starting their Sunday.

In Tokyo, I found a class at a hotel near where I was staying and signed up without really thinking it through. Walked in and immediately realized the entire class was in Japanese. The room was also about 95% women, which is apparently pretty typical in Japan — almost the opposite ratio from what I see back home. The ladies were visibly surprised when I walked in.

I figured down dog is down dog. How different could it be?

It was different.

I spent 60 minutes watching the person in front of me and copying whatever they did. I understood exactly zero words. I smiled whenever anyone looked at me. I kept up about 70% of the time.

Still one of my favorite hours in Japan.

2. I get a haircut or beard trim

This one sounds random. It's not.

Barbershops are one of the few places where you actually sit down with a local for 20-30 minutes and something real has to happen. There's no way to just walk through it. You have to engage.

In Interlaken, Switzerland, I found a barber who had emigrated from Turkey. My German was basically nonexistent. His English was limited. We figured it out.

My wife, Tori sat in the corner quietly panicking through the first few cuts. She later admitted she had no idea how it was going to turn out.

It was one of the best haircuts I've ever gotten.

3. I go to a live sporting event

Not a tourist attraction. The actual local sport, with local fans.

I watched the Osaka Tigers play baseball in Japan. If you've never been to a Japanese baseball game, there's nothing quite like it. Every section has coordinated chants. The food is different. The crowd energy is completely different from anything I've experienced in the US.

It doesn't matter if you follow the sport. You're not there for the sport. You're there to watch people care about something together. In May I’m going with my family to Scandinavia. We are planning to see a soccer game in Alesund, Norway.

That's always worth seeing.

Here's the thing about rituals.

They give you a reason to go somewhere unexpected, talk to someone you'd never otherwise meet, and do something that has nothing to do with a travel blog's top ten list.

Tourists see cities. Rituals let you feel them.

Figure out your three. Then go find out what happens.

What's a ritual you have when you travel? Hit reply and tell me.

Until next Thursday,

Jeff