From Heather on the Exploration Project blog:
5 Reasons Why I Explore Lonely Places
I have been thinking lately about why I explore. What is it that fascinates me about lost, lonely, old, and often abandoned places? Well, I have come up with a list – an orderly way of organizing my thoughts on this subject for you, the reader.
#1. I can think. Lonely places are quiet – sacred spaces where one can get lost in silence and escape the noise of daily life. With silence, comes rejuvenation.
#2. I can imagine. When in a lonely place, I imagine, “what was once here”? What stories does this place hold and to whom do these stories belong? Are they happy stories, neutral stories, tragedies? Life is about the story.
#3. I can appreciate. Seeing lonely,decrepit, and abandoned places makes you feel lonely. I find this a reflective state, a vantage point from which I can appreciate life and my life in particular. To come home out of the cold is a wonderful feeling.
#4. I can photograph. I can try to capture the above feelings/states in a single snapshot of time. A challenging and creative outlet.
#5. I can discover. The thrill of discovery, of “hey, come check this out”! The excitement of seeing something that not many people see or that you don’t typically see on an average day.
“Exploration is really the essence of the human spirit.” Frank Borman
I like to explore old places, abandoned houses, derelict buildings. Usually I stay on the outside where wild animals are the biggest thing to watch for. Also, the more derelict a place is, the more I like to see it.
I think my main reason for exploring lonely/ abandoned places is the history and some feeling that the house/ building is a feeling thing. Each part of the woodwork, each pane of old glass and each rock in the forgotten garden seems to be something of life, more than an inanimate object.
This is my list post for the SITS31DBBB. My original post from the 31DBBB in 2009 was about odd art forms I like.