Groundhog Day

But BMWBGV, I am hoping buddy Leroy helps you actually appreciate this (mundane) routine ;-)
I agree that travel mixes up the repetitive and mundane of life. I live alone so I get bored with my own company and 4 walls easily. I do have numerous social activities in my monthly calendar, but travel is ultimately more interesting.
I also travel to get a winter break, to see parts of the natural world that is at risk, and to remind myself that I am part of a global family - not just the standard local framework. Wanderlust also seems to be a genetic trait. Even if we didn't do a lot of international travel, my parents were armchair travelers and they instilled a global interest before that was popular.
I survive winter planning some future trip. I don't always take that trip, but if I decide to hope on a plane tomorrow, chances are I can resurrect an itinerary framework within an hour or two.

I need to see famous art and architecture. I am more introverted, so rarely schedule human interactions into my travel plans. If it isn't a nature destination, I head for beauty rich cities with daily agendas of things to see.

Ha ha, Mike, you "kill me." (How's your friend?)

Anyway, yeah, we all have a routine. It's called - life. lol.

Aside from working every day, doing housework, shopping, errands, paying bills, yeah, I would think most, if not all people, look forward to activities, vacations, journeys, gathering with family, going out with friends, a hobby or craft they enjoy.

A lot of people take long weekends to get refreshed and energized out of their everyday routines; especially in the New England winter. And those who plan and save for a trip, to wherever for however long, is exciting -- at least I hope!

Okay, TMI time! lol.

In between, a person can live vicariously through YT travels -- I like to watch The Roman Guy especially. Some people have personal YT travels uploaded. Some are good. This guy, "Attache" is really funny at times
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnL-zJ5DcQw

For me, I like to visit skycams of Rome, Lazio - have them on in the background listening to the sounds of Rome, lol!

Sometimes, I catch the street musicians (at different Piazzas) I heard on my first trip to Rome - love the lead singer's voice - melodic, soothing, unusual.

I have rotating wallpapers of Italy, and when a certain one pops up, like the ones of St. Peter's Basilica, "it zooms me right back to when I was there." It's great!

I love movies involving espionage, the CIA and such, because a lot of them are "set in Europe." I love to read legal thrillers.

I love Dino and his music and anything about Italy or Italian. I grew up in an Italian family.

Driving by a huge field of sunflowers really makes my day! Yep, it's the little things too.

I watch Nick Stellino and his cooking shows. He is originally from Palermo, came to USA as a teen, went to college, got his degree, became a stock broker in NYC, did very well, but his heart was in cooking and baking (because of his Grandmother's teachings.) He quit his job, started at the bottom and worked himself up to be a recognized chef with his own restaurants, cooking shows, books.

He tells stories of the old country; some are very moving, and I can relate having listened to my Grandmother, Aunts, Uncles. Nick is very down-to-Earth and funny. His recipes are easy and with few, fresh ingredients.

Also, Dom DeLuise, a comedian, had cookbooks laced with real and funny stories about his own upbringing and Italian traditions. My Grandmother bought me Nick's and Dom's cookbooks. I love them. Aside from great recipes in the book, you get side stories - some are hilarious.

There are also a lot of other things I do to get sparked.

Just remembered: I look fondly on the postcards and books and special trinkets I bought during my travel. I still love the Christmas cards in Italian I got my first trip. The front of the cards have Kewpie style kids and angels with Christmas wishes in Italian. The cards are quite lovely, and I framed them. Postcards are put into picture sleeves; it's very nice to reflect back -- I can recall where I bought them, even recall conversations with people surrounding my purchases. Nice memories.

added extra stuff.

Being retired, we say that each week is 6 Saturdays and a Sunday. Not much difference day-to-day, just gym, errands, housework, cooking, hobbies, maybe a bit of language study and outdoor time when weather permits (our summers are fabulous).

Planning for trips — big trips — is one of my favorite diversions and looking forward to that long annual Euro trip occupies my daydreams. The weeks spent in travel enliven us for the rest of the year as we “discover” new places together and revisit former haunts as though the places themselves are dear friends. Yup, keeps me sane. And we take a few smaller trips throughout the year, but nothing too grand. Save the big bucks for the annual pilgrimage to Europe.

Editing to say we love Broadchurch and Victoria! Any British procedural for that matter.

I work for the federal government. During the recent shutdown, I was just sitting around the house waiting for a budget deal so I could go back to work. The worst part of the shutdown was not being able to plan for anything because tomorrow is uncertain as are the tomorrows after that. You couldn't go anywhere, because you might have to work. You couldn't really spend any money because you don't know when your next paycheck will come. I started to wonder whether I'd really like retirement?

Then I remembered, I'm always planning some trip or activity. I think I'd curl up and die if I didn't have something to look forward to. There is so much to see in the world and limited time to see it. I plan to knock as many things off my must see list as I can before I become unable to travel.

I travel to be in a different-feeling environment. While doing that, I take in local sights of interest to me, but when I imagine myself in Europe, it is not at a famous sight of some sort--and indeed I skip many of the biggies; it is just wandering down a picturesque street somewhere, preferably surrounded by a language I don't really understand. I started reading guide books and other books set in Europe when I was a pre-teen and have never stopped, though these days I also spend a lot of time looking for more specifically useful information here or elsewhere on the internet.

Retirement isn't boring at all; I have things I enjoy at home, too, but I'm not into active sports so I get my adrenaline rushes from travel in foreign countries. I'll keep doing it as long as I'm physically able to, then I'll just read about it.

0551 automatic porch light bright as a runway light comes on as I "run" past a house (wow how sensitive is that thing?)

So funny. I agree though. And, as an aside, what is up with cars and trucks with those blinding (LED) lights too? They also light up the whole street or highway, geesh. It looks like they have their highs on. Although some jerks don't bother to lower their highs.

And, as an aside, what is up with cars and trucks with those blinding (LED) lights too?

It's not just the vehicles, many cyclists also have blinding led lights which actually increase the risk of me having a head on collision with them as I'm so dazzled.