09 January 2012

Love Where You Live {Eyes Wide Open}

The grass isn't always greener. The sky isn't always bluer. Sometimes it just takes fresh eyes to see it.

This is the beginning of a new journey. One which I hope you will join me on.

It's called Loving Where You Live. Embracing all that is beautiful and worth loving in the right here, right now.


All this beauty is within five minutes walk of my own home. But it's the first time I've ever truly stopped and really seen it.


I admit that I often despair of Wellington's weather. Just yesterday a nasty southerly storm reminiscent of mid-winter blew through and sent temperatures here plummeting. And on any other normal summer day, when the rest of the country is basking in sunshine and balmy temperatures, Wellington is more often than not a few degrees colder and always a good deal windier. I think this is why I so enjoy the times when we travel out of town, up country to warmer climes where I shed layers of clothing like a snake shedding its skin. It's fair to say that the sun is warmer, and the wind is gentler elsewhere.

But reality hits each time we return home. I find myself questioning why, why, why we live in this place when the lure of warmer, more settled places beckon only a few miles down the road. I question it even more when I'm sitting here and the tapping of these keys on the keyboard are more than drowned out by the raging wind buffeting the house.

So I definitely need to be reminded about the beauty that lies here. The reasons why we choose to live here. What there is to love about this amazing, vibrant city. Often, perhaps always, I need to be reminded.


So this is me, opening my eyes. Seeing with eyes wide open.


The hills and steep walkways that beg for energetic legs.


Winding roads that lead ever higher.


Houses perched on hillsides seeking out any solace of sun they can find.


Quiet streets play the grand entrance to unexplored hideaways.








Short histories lived inside these walls by most world standards but colourful histories nonetheless.






And to think that all this loveliness was just waiting to be discovered. No more than a stone's throw from home. I would normally have hurried on by and not taken a second glance, had I not been returning on a walk from town with my camera, alone,  and with a few extra minutes up my sleeve before my presence was required back at home.

Have you opened your eyes lately to see the beauty that is around you? Instead of looking over the fence towards greener pastures wishing you there, why not begin by looking closely in your own field? You might just be surprised at what you find.

I'm going to make a concerted effort to open my eyes and consciously Love Where I Live this year. And I hope I might be able to inspire you to do the same.



6 comments :

alicia said...

Love this idea! Your photos are breathtaking. In the hectic, fast paced world we live we often forget to stop and take the moment to really open our eyes to the beauty right under our nose. Thank you for the reminder. Is this a one time linky or will you have it again?

I've missed you!

Sarah said...

Fabulous post and photographs. I love the way your mind thinks and the words you blend with what you see. And I too have to do the same when I return to Welly from a holiday away - but already, on day 3 of being back, I'm beginning to clearly 'see' again x

About Last Weekend said...

Hi nice to catch up again! Happy New Year, loving your photos, just gorgeous and like you, I enjoy the backstreet views. This reminds me I need to do a course so I can get more three dimensionality into my photos!

georgia b. said...

this is so wonderful! i hope you will keep this going, because i will definitely be participating! what a great idea! will you do this on a certain day every week? i'd like to participate the next time you do it.

you should make it a link-up kind of thing. i have a link-up for my moving pictures...
http://itsjusthowiseethings.blogspot.com/search/label/moving%20pictures%20link-up

it's still growing, but it's a great way to keep an interactive theme going among bloggers... and creates community. i would love to participate on yours and link up to it. i'll grab this button at the bottom of your post and add it. please let me know when you do another! i love to roam around my neck of the woods and take pictures... appreciating the beauty that we have here, even if there ARE no mountains or oceans or famous landmarks.

georgia b. said...

p.s.
the photos you took here are stunning! can't remember if i wrote this in my first comment, but if i lived where you do, i would love it too!

Rachel said...

I like this linky! Will have to link up next time.

Rachel

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails