You just got back home from the trip of a lifetime and now you can’t seem to shake off the traveling bug. However, visiting different countries, and staying away from your home for months at a time, is difficult for most people who have a full-time job. Luckily, with the many capabilities of artificial intelligence, virtual reality tools and improvements in technologies presenting themselves daily, you can recreate your hometown in a way you never viewed it in the past.

Enjoy local hotspots like tourists do. Visit live events, recreate local shows and reimagine that corner pub you’ve visited countless times, into an alternative world you’ve never imagined it to be. Today’s best mobile processors, such as Snapdragon from Qualcomm, allow your devices to support advanced augmented reality (AR) and stunning HD-video shooting capabilities; Snapdragon’s enhanced support also means longer battery life when using these features. These great features will allow you to enjoy your hometown as if you were visiting for the first time.

AR Flyover Country

If you’ve never seen your hometown from above, AR allows you to envision your town in an entirely new light. AR Flyover mode is available in hundreds of cities around the world, allowing you to zoom, swoop and drive through your city in an entirely new way, you’ve never envisioned it from. You can view destinations in flight, on a hike, or take a road trip with friends in your hometown. Maps allow you to “flyover” different points of interest. And, you can take tours of local hotspots giving you a better sense of the destinations you’re visiting. A 3D viewpoint from above might give you a completely different vantage point you never imagined, right in your backyard.

Step Back in Time

Timelooper is another great tool which allows you to revisit different points in time, and relive history in your own backyard. The app uses augmented reality technologies on your smartphone and recreates documented historical events, which occurred in different locations around the globe. You might have never known your hometown was famous for a specific event until you step into its past with this integrative app. Washington D.C., New York City, London and many other cities around the globe have several stories in its past, which shaped it present day. Simply place your smartphone over a site and its surroundings, and Timelooper will give you a brief history of events you never knew occurred in your backyard.

Speak to Complete Strangers in a Virtual Message

Integrative apps and AR also allow you to communicate with visitors to your city or locals you’d otherwise never meet. Wallame allows you to leave hidden messages in various locations around the world, which can be read by other Wallame users. Connect with other tourists, engage in international conversations with friends you made during your travels, or simply leave your mark behind and share your history with others who visit your town.

Take pictures of walls, street signs or attach your own photos of places you visited, to leave hidden messages for other users of the app. The augmented reality allows you to communicate with people near and far, and create an entirely new mode of communication which pen pals never dreamed of 30-years ago.

Your travels don’t have to end simply because you come back home from your dream vacation. You’d be surprised to learn how much history your hometown has to offer. Artificial intelligence and augmented reality have recreated the way in which we communicate, interact and view different regions of the world. Your own city has plenty of history to share with you. Why not become a tourist and take it all in with the technological advancements at your fingertips!