As things suddenly seem to be getting back to normal, I’m starting to feel anxious as to what’s next and whether I’m really ready for that. This winter has seemed the longest ever with restrictions seeming to be in place in the North East since September/October. I’m sure I’m the same as absolutely everyone but things have been really hard haven’t they?!
Anyway, as we look forward, I really am looking forward to travelling again though repeated lockdowns has allowed me to slow down and re focus. Travel is going to be much more local, whether through choice or forced upon us, but I’m okay with that. Throughout the last year, I’ve discovered places I had no idea existed just a few miles from my home.
Life was getting far too fast and I’m here now enjoying time in my garden making pizzas and plotting walking routes on my ordnance survey maps. It’s very difficult but I quite like it.
With this kind of re-balance, I’ve thought about my travel blog and how I want to continue expressing my thoughts and photography through it. However, instead of focusing on exotic holidays, I’m going to challenge myself to bring everything much closer to home. When I moved to the North East, many friends used the term ‘it’s grim up north’ and, whilst admittedly there are parts that aren’t great (can’t the same be said about pretty much everywhere?), I am going to set about proving that that is not strictly true.
So looking forward, the blog is definitely still going to focus on photography and my love for my Fujifilm cameras but hopefully I’ll be able to inspire you to pay more attention to your local surroundings. It’s amazing what you find when you look for it! I might even inspire you to purposefully visit the North East of England then you’d really be able to tell that it’s not at all grim.
All that being said, to be fair, I still can’t wait to get travelling again though I think I will always be apprehensive. I have so many ideas running through my head and I really want to go on my honeymoon please but for now at least I’m going to show what the North East has to offer!
You’ll find all of the latest posts below from my series ‘It’s Not Grim Up North’.
