It’s easy to fall into a routine: work, TV, sleep — each step punctuated by meals, with perhaps some exercise (or just mindless scrolling of the interwebs) thrown in for good measure. For the most part, routines can be great — they add order to a chaotic world, some structure and certainty when so many things in life seem out of our control — but when they turn into a rut, you need something to shake things up, stat. That’s where the “Where have you been all my life?!” challenge comes in.

You’ve got to eat, and often, what to eat for dinner becomes both a pain in the neck and a mega rut we fall into. We have the same go-to dinners and, when we dine out, the same restaurants we hit up every single time. Snore. So, for one month, we’re challenging ourselves to mix things up. Every Tuesday, we’re making the weeknight a little more exciting by hitting up a restaurant we’ve never been to before. It gives you something to look forward to early in the week, and the premise is simple: go for a drive — or a stroll, depending on where you live — and walk into the first restaurant you’ve never been to before, provided it’s within your budget.

Even if the food’s totally out of your comfort zone, there’s a good chance there’s something on the menu you can enjoy, and at the very least, it gives you a story to tell. It’s just a one-month commitment, so you’re only trying four new places (no breaking the bank here). You might find your next favorite restaurant; the place that makes you go, “where have you been all my life?!” 

At worst, you’ll find four places you can’t stand, but hey, that will just reinforce your love for the old standbys. No matter what, you’re getting out and doing something different.

Who’s with us?

 

Photo: Unsplash/Dan Gold