London is my home city and I can honestly say I am happy when I am here. I don't know what it is, whether it's the history or the architecture, sounds or the atmosphere, but something in London makes it special and recently I have embarked on a little adventure to keep me in the centre.
For the past few months I have been couchsurfing the capital - packing my bags, putting my trust in and staying with a number of kind strangers. It's not everyones ideal past-time and it definitely took a lot of courage, but it has been a fantastic experience, despite happening just on my doorstep. I have learnt so much about different cultures, different ways of living and met a genuinely beautiful group of individuals. Before all this, you could say I was somewhat ignorant and suspicious of people, and to some extent I still am, but I could never have imagined the limits that some individuals will selflessly extend their generosity to others unknown to them. In a way, it has restored some of my faith in others and has left me once again with a craving to travel...
If I can do this in my own city, what is stopping me from exploring others? Past the barrier of language, we all are the same. We want the same things, we feel the same...Though language is my weakness. In school I took lessons in German, French, Spanish, Italian and Latin but the strict curriculum was never lucrative enough for me to either take interest or learn more than random words and textbook phrases. Now, entering my career and becoming a little more in-tune with my ambitions, I am realising the importance and power language really is.
Pairing my love for travel, culture, beauty and art, I often find myself aggravated. Aggravated by the fact I am constantly running through each day but yet standing still. There is so much I what to discover...in London, in Europe and even further. I argue that there isn't the time for fanciful adventures, but in fact this is the time. We only have one shot at doing what we want to achieve, so whether it is wearing your heart on your sleeve after a heartbreak, or stepping out of a familiar and secure routine to explore the unknown, we should all take a chance. Can I dare to follow my desires? Could you?
So this post may have actually turned into quite a personal blurt and the reason behind it (other than being aggravated and extremely bored at work - yes, I said it!) is actually a blog I stumbled across called Little Brown Pen. Despite being from one of my most loved European centers, it encapsulates some of what I feel I am missing. Called 'The Paris Colour Project', the individuals running this blog choose to Flâner around Paris, no destination in mind, and take photographs of seemingly unrelated details, focusing on colour and Parisian spirit. The outcome shows the City as it truly is, appreciating every miniscule detail. A truly beautiful idea.
