Falling in Love (again)

There's no better feeling than being in love but all too often that feeling becomes a little stale. It could be a long term love or a relatively new one but sometimes life gets in the way and we start to take it for granted.

We bore of the familiar routine and begin longing for something new and exciting. We look at others and feel envious of what they have. Suddenly we find ourselves so engrossed in what could be that we fail to see what's right in front of us.

That love can so easily drift away if we don't remind ourselves what we have. We need to consciously take the time to appreciate all the little things and reignite our passion.

Don't worry, this isn't going to be one of those gushing posts where I bear my soul, revealing my innermost feelings about some guy, I'll stick to what I'm good at! I'm talking travel.

Love for places can be taken for granted just as a love for people can. Your home town may have become a bit mundane but there is a reason you moved there or chose to stay there. You must love it or have done once upon a time.

Just like any relationship that initial love might have faded, you may have even forgotten what attracted you in the first place. Rather than taking it for granted, remind yourself why you love it and get out there and make the most of it. Be a tourist in your own town! Revisit the iconic favourites of your city, it might surprise you how refreshing it can be.

Recently I've tested this out for myself in both my current home as well as my original home town.

I remember being in awe of Sydney Harbour when I first arrived, wowed by the iconic Opera House and Harbour Bridge. But 7 years on (and I hate myself for saying this) it just became part of the landscape. I'd become complacent, I needed to remind myself why I fell in love.

As part of my "playing tourist" I spent the day on a walking tour around Sydney Harbour and did the Opera House tour for the first time. I had seen it countless times from different angles and been in for Operas and concerts but this tour made me see it from a completely different perspective. Often when you live somewhere you don't bother with the "touristy" stuff but why not?! This was just one of the many things I did that made me fall in love with Sydney all over again.

Pumped from my rekindling with Sydney I decided to do the same thing when I returned to my home city of London recently. The first 20 odd years of my life were spent in London, as a child I went on countless school excursions and day trips with the family to see some of the historical and cultural sites across London. But once I was older London simply became the backdrop to the daily grind.

I'd walk along the south bank and across Tower Bridge as if my eyes were shut, my face buried in a book or phone. Returning this time made me realise how much I'd taken for granted having all these amazing spots on my doorstep. As if a role reversal of years past, I took my Dad with me for a day of sightseeing in London Town. I'd forgotten just how much London has to offer for travellers and the sun shone down as we wandered the streets alongside tourists and locals enjoying the city.

When we think about travel we think of far off places but you don't always need to jump on a plane to have an adventure, sometimes exploring your own back yard is just as much fun and a lot more accessible.

Try it for yourself, it needn't be a costly tourist attraction, maybe it's a walk, a park or a beach. Revisit your old favourites and seek out new ones too. You may have lived there for what feels like forever, but there's likely countless little gems you're yet to discover.

Have a search on Google, check out Instagram or just take a walk in a direction you've not been before, there's inspiration everywhere. there's nothing nicer than exploring and finding new favourite places.

Pretty quick you'll find yourself falling back in love 💚

#Home #Europe #Sydney #London