We don't Always Have to Travel Far

Photographs from Our Daily Walk

With Tina’s tight deadlines now behind her and with longer days of spring upon us, we started a morning routine walking the greenway extension that opened last year. For added intensity to our exercise, our 2.2-mile route includes a gradual elevation from street level to the path leading to the bridge over the railroad tracks, as well as a few flights of stairwells in different areas along the way.

Several years ago, I had this habit of saying, “Wow, that looks like [exotic foreign destination]!” whenever we would go on a local hike. I must’ve uttered it so frequently that Tina finally felt she had to say something.

"Why can't you just appreciate where we are right now?" She asked.

I wasn’t aware of it until she pointed it out. Since then, I've stopped the comparisons and made a conscious effort to focus on where I was at the moment instead of dreaming of being somewhere else.

Years, later, I came across this quote from Saul Leiter:

I take photographs in my neighborhood. I think that mysterious things happen in familiar places. We don’t always need to run to the other end of the world. — Saul Leiter

from the book, ‘All about Saul Leiter’ by Thames & Hudson

He reminds me to consistently view the familiar with curiosity and a fresh perspective. Given that the area we reside in is unassuming and lacks photogenic appeal, uncovering its hidden beauty has become particularly interesting to me now.

Tina and Saul are right.

We don’t always need to run to the other side of the world.

As always, let’s meet each other in the comments section below. Let me know if anything resonated with you.

See you all next Sunday!

MORE WAYS TO SUPPORT SUNDAYS WITH STELLA

Great news, dear ones! I've listened to your requests and created a support page on my website. Now you can contribute to 'Sundays with Stella' in any amount using your credit card, PayPal, or Venmo. Your generosity is truly appreciated!

The Coffee Collage series is also available on my online shop. Each print purchase helps support Sundays with Stella. Have a look!

If you would like a print made for the photographs or collages featured in this post, send me an email at photo@kalaw.com. I would be happy to discuss it with you.