I love exploring places that I already know.
I realise that might sound a little odd; we tend to
associate new adventures with unknown far off lands and places we've only read
about in books. But what if the cities and towns we know so well hold hidden
gems and unseen treasures we're yet to discover?
By new discoveries, I don't just mean that quirky gift shop
on the corner or the new cafe in the centre of town which only serves chocolate
biscuits. I mean those which might have been right in front of our noses the whole time, but we just haven't taken the time to venture to.
Last month I travelled to Salford Quays with the lovely Livia
Lazar to capture some fancy new outfit snaps. I had some new red trousers and
Livia suggested the Quays could be a good setting to get some interesting
shots, so naturally I was on board.
For me, Manchester is somewhere I visit regularly; it's home
to my boyfriend and secondly, a place for me to spend far too much money -
Alchemist, I am looking at you. However, whilst the Quays is literally 20 mins
from the centre, it's just not somewhere I've ever travelled to, and I'm so
pleased I did.
I think we all have those places that we think we know like the back of our hands, but on closer inspection, have just about scratched the surface. Even if it seems odd, taking that slight detour down that side street or getting off a couple of tube stops too early could result in a new discovery that we would never have otherwise come across. And discovering is something we all need a little more of, even if it is just a perfect pair of red trousers.
Talking of new journeys, there is a *slight* possibility I
could be headed to London in a couple of months. Whilst nothing is, as yet, set
in stone, advice from any current residents of the capital would be very
welcome - i.e. will I have to live on beans on toast?
Photos by the wonderful Livia Lazar
top - Zara
trousers - Primark
shoes - ebay
necklaces - Neck on the line
rings - H&M
earrings - vintage
