I was talking to some friends during a free period recently, and the topic of Kansas City came up.

“I’m definitely not coming back here after college,” one girl stated with absolute certainty. Others felt the same.

“Why not?” I asked.

“It’s too small,” one said. “I’m going to live in New York City – it’s more my style.”

“There’s nothing new to do here,” agreed another. “I just find myself visiting the same few places over and over again.”

“I don’t want to be another suburban cliche,” a third responded. “Growing up here, moving back after college, getting married, buying a house in the suburbs, sending our kids to the schools we went to… It’s fine for some people, but not for me.”

It’s completely acceptable to move on from your hometown and want to live somewhere else. But while we are living here, we might as well get as much out of our amazing city as we can.

We all know the staples, the go-to places of KC. Winstead’s, Kauffman Stadium, The Roasterie, Crown Center, Jack Stack, the Country Club Plaza… The list goes on and on. Those are the things we’re famous for: jazz, barbecue, shopping and baseball. But there is so much more to Kansas City than the stereotypes.

Kansas City is overflowing with undiscovered gems. You have to hunt for these remarkably unique attractions. And all they require is a bit of trial and error, an adventurous spirit – and maybe some gas money. But once you take that first bite of an all-organic snack wrap at YJ’s, or feel the pure adrenalin wash over you during a paintball game at Jaegers, or have your breath taken away by the awe-inspiring view at the City Hall Observation Deck, you’ll know the search was worth it.

We are the City of Fountains, the Paris of the Plains, the Heart of America. And if we ignore all that is around us just because of wanderlust or restlessness or boredom, we are doing a great and terrible disservice to this city we call home.