Motivation – Page 2 – One Chance to See the World

How do you deal with a disrupted routine?

Since things have changed for us recently I have been thinking a lot about how to adapt to it. It isn’t easy especially with a daily routine in place. I’ve had nine whole days off work now with our new skeleton rota and despite catching up with housework and cooking, I haven’t done a lot with the days.

I have spent way too much of my free time simply thinking about how to spend my time. And today is my first day back at work. The free time ran out.

This was Old Street station in February. It is located underneath the (then) busy Old Street roundabout above. Now the underground station is empty, the local flower shop and cafes that operate down here are closed and only key workers walk through the station barriers.

I wonder if everyone in this shot are managing their free time better than I am. I am being a bit harsh on myself though, after all I did do the cleaning that I was putting off for ages, a couple of washes, and caught up with family daily over video chat. What’s frustrating is trying to think of a new daily routine and not achieving this. Lots of ideas ran through my head but none that developed into more than just a thought. Like a fisherman with his bait in the river, everything swims by without a single catch. It feels like a wasted day to me when reflecting.

My plan before the pandemic was to let readers vote for the places they would like me to visit in London. This would be done on Instagram using the poll feature on IG stories. I would put two popular London sights into the vote, 24 hours would be enough time to see the results and I would spend my next day off exploring and blogging my experience. I managed to go to Covent Garden (I blogged about this here and on Instagram) before having to take a pause for the foreseeable future.

So frustrating!!!!!

But what’s more frustrating would be to lose a family member to the virus, so I’ll end my whining there. I did take a bunch of photos before the lockdowns and you are currently seeing them in my recent posts. So at least this will keep me busy as I play with lighting and get more familiar with photography software. I have a long way to go to improving my shots so that’s something to keep me occupied.

And I need to remind myself that routine doesn’t just happen overnight. It is something that takes time and instead of getting wound up over indecision, let time take its course and eventually a new path will form. A river carves its way gradually and this is no different. Just let things fall into place one by one without rushing things. So I will try to be patient. Patience was never my strongpoint…

I have more pictures coming at least, some from around the London Eye, the Shard and Piccadilly Circus to name a few. Just quick shots passing through as I take mindless strolls. Sometimes these shots work out to be the best as a glorious photo opportunity comes our way, so plans aren’t always needed anyways. Not that I’m promising that sadly, just hopeful for the future!

And I hope you have managed to keep yourself occupied with things to get you through. Are you someone that needs to create a new routine to keep you sane? Or someone that is more free flowing and happy to just sit it out with a nice book and wait for things to get back to normal and carry on as you were?

I’d like to hear how you manage when the path ahead is blocked.

For now at least.

Due to the Coronavirus outbreak I am somewhat limited as to what I can do in London, but I aim to post as much as I can during this time. I promise to have some great posts coming your way once this is all over as I continue to explore London.

Stay home, stay safe and happy blogging!

Sam

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The mystery is a motivator

Hey there, how’s it going? Great beard by the way. It is nice to see someone else outside, even if you can’t talk back.

Just kidding, as you can see above I wasn’t the only one outside. This was taken a month back, the two people in the background happy to just walk right by one another and not avoiding contact like, well, the plague.

The statue is a memorial to John Donne, a poet and priest, unveiled in 2012. He was born in 1572 and died in 1631 at the age of 59. I guess for his time he had a good innings. He was Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral and this is the location of his memorial.

I took this photo on a truly gorgeous day. I found a bench to sit on, took a moment and thought about what this cathedral has witnessed over it’s lifetime. This has been the site for St Paul’s Cathedral for over 1,400 years. And looking at St Paul’s Cathedrals website it states the cathedral has been rebuilt five times. This is the current building, over 300 years old and built after the previous one was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. Sir Christopher Wren was the architect for the current building.

That is a heck of a lot of history, and the Great Fire of London was just one of the many ‘sh*t hits the fan’ moments this city has seen. The blitz being another, this building fortunately surviving when others around it crumbled.

And it is still standing tall. It is a shame buildings can’t speak to talk of their stories, but we at least have the written records from the people of the time. And these records show us that life is full of unexpected, tragic events.

But these records also show us that humans persevere, and come out of them too. And everyday we are creating history to look back on, only time will tell what stories will be retold in classrooms a thousand years from now. Will this pandemic be remembered, or will this be a small blip not tracked on future’s radar? What is life changing for us could very well be too insignificant to be told if events ahead of us overshadow it. Yellowstone erupting for example. Not a scenario I want to imagine right now.

Who will be remembered? Will it be the ones we look up to today? Maybe not. Someone that makes wild predictions today might be the most relatable to future generations. Someone we would not expect at all. What musicians and artists, scientists and politicians. I wish I could know.

But this makes life fascinating. Not knowing what life has in store helps me to get out of bed everyday. Provided I have a certain level of optimism of course. Yes I could break my leg today but I could also win the lottery or find the love of my life. The mystery is a motivator.

And although this cathedral has seen many a cloudy day, a blue sky will always return. ‘This too shall pass’ is making the rounds on the internet right now and for good reason. It is great to be reminded that this metaphorical blue sky will return and we shouldn’t look back when we have so much to look forward to.

What are you looking forward to the most when life gets back to normal? Seeing family again, a coffee shop date, having friends round on the weekends? For me it is seeing family and friends again and it not being through a webcam. But I also cannot wait to get out there and practice photography more, hopefully in time for summer.

Have a good day and remember, we are one day closer to being back to normal!

St Paul’s Cathedral information obtained on their site, www.stpauls.co.uk

Stay home, stay safe and happy blogging!

Sam

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I just want a walk and a doughnut…

‘Dough nut’, or ‘doughnut’ are terms first recorded in the early 1800’s. These people were the first bloggers. Those writing on walls with paints and stone tools, then using new inventions called ‘pens’ to write with ink on paper.

Some of the words they came up with to describe the fancy foods they were creating, would they have had any idea they would stand the test of time?!

I was walking by this doughnut shop in February and now the cravings are hitting me again.

Getting messy with a fat doughnut as I try to dodge the oncoming rush hour commuters. Ahh, those were the days. Moments of frustration that are now memories of when life was just a little bit easier. But I can still order these snacks to my house, so life is still way, way better than it could be.

I have had a couple of conversations with fellow bloggers about what will change as we slowly get back to normal, when it is safe to of course. The foot-operated hand sanitizer in my last post being an example. Will we have a heightened awareness of where our hands are going each and everyday, and where they have been? Greeting with a handshake might give us the urge to wash our hands straight afterwards with this pandemic still fresh in our minds. And if we do have this increased urge to sanitize, how long will it last? Humans have a great track record of forgetting things as we get back to normality after a tragic event.

Do you think you will change your routine in the long term?

I’ve never really liked handshakes anyway, there are too many variations these days. The fewer ways I can make a fool of myself in public, the better.

Stay home, stay safe and happy blogging!

Sam

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Every frustration is a story

This is the first time I have noticed queues outside of the stores. Not sure how long this has been the norm but down the road the supermarkets had these lines, thankfully no more than four or five people.

My mum messaged me from the family home up north, saying that the local Asda supermarket had a line that went all the way to Morrison’s (another UK supermarket chain). This would involve crossing a main road, so I wish I had a photo of this as it sounds pretty crazy. A queue that has a two meter rule will stretch a lot further than it usually would, especially if the number of people allowed in the store is limited.

My flatmate asked if I wanted to join her in having a walk today, as we are currently allowed out for one bit of exercise a day or to do a food shop (the latter to be done as infrequently as possible). Being in pairs with someone in your household is currently okay. We headed to the local park which wasn’t too busy, there was more than enough space for those exercising to keep a safe distance, so we did a walking lap. She needed to buy groceries on route back, a local organic shop was open and seemed fairly popular with five people waiting to go in. The sign said there was a ten person limit, although another sign read ‘one customer out one in…’ so it was a little unclear. I could see some in the queue scratching their heads as they reached the entrance. I stood on the other side of the road and waited as the path was a lot wider and less walked.

When the queue disappeared altogether I got a closer look. They have installed a hand wash outside that I haven’t seen elsewhere in London so far.

Maybe it is more common in your area? For me this is a first.

‘Foot operated’ message on the wall to help assist those in line, with a funny foot diagram to help even further.

The below shot was seen on the store window next door. The window can be seen behind the couple waiting in the first shot from this road. It looked closed, maybe this was stuck up before they had to shut completely. Maybe it is open certain days or for take-outs.

I prefer to see times like these as an opportunity. As much as it is a pain, an annoyance, and of course a danger, if we don’t take these moments and use them to our advantage, they can really take advantage of us.

It is an opportunity to share our stories of what life is currently like, an event that may not reoccur in our lifetime. The photos of the new restrictions and restricted freedoms. The signs telling us how to adjust to a new normal and what we are no longer allowed to do. The little things like an A4 piece of paper stuck in a window will be a big story to tell when we get out of this, looking back in years or decades to come.

Of course this differs depending on where we are. We are all going through the same thing, but with slight variations depending on where we call home. This is what is bringing us all together, we have an excuse for conversation again. Not just because we have the same story to relate to, but each of our stories has different chapters. Differing experiences and characters. And I will for sure be looking out for these stories online in the weeks to come.

Stay home, stay safe and happy blogging!

Sam

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Is this now classed as an adventure?

I am just reading your comments from my previous post, what I love about the WordPress community is that it is full of diversity and people with differing interests. My question was where would you like to visit post apocalypse? Reading the comments the responses varied a lot. Cities and beach resorts, hometowns, ancient wonders of the world, and even just a supermarket without the people (I hear you Pat).

Thank you for all your comments, I will be responding to them very soon.

Today I needed to pop to a specific shop. The flat I have moved into for now close to work is pretty old, it still has one of those electric meters you need to top up with a stick at a convenience store. With it being Sunday most were closed. I found online that one was open, I popped my mask on and headed to it. I strapped my GoPro to my bag as I walked to get some footage of the lockdown to show the grandkids, however looking back at it I did a bad job of walking at a reasonable pace.

Now I know that I am a fast walker, and even though I tried to slow it down it was still too fast. The camera was bouncing and I felt dizzy watching it. I also filmed in 4K and the 16 minute recording was over 3GB which is a hell of a lot so in terms of uploading I have to consider the size too. But I know for next time and if I do record my future walks when I have to leave the house, I may upload them to my blog. I don’t go out often with this pandemic, only when needed. And it feels like an adventure when I do.

I have been watching lots of these videos by a YouTuber named Watched Walker. He does a great job of filming his walks around London, at a decent pace too. I will leave you tonight with one of his videos as I feel they are not just fascinating, but something future generations can look back on with fascination as we do with black and white footage.

It is also a great way to see London for those that aren’t from here (the majority of you!) and before Corona took hold. It is so strange to see groups of people again…

I hope you enjoy, and I will speak to you all soon!

Stay home, stay safe and happy blogging!

Sam

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Hmmmm…

Literally the only thing left in the noodle/tin section are these ‘be good to yourself- chicken noodle soup in a cup‘ sachets. I bought a bunch of these to last me if the apocalypse truly hit as they were cheap. It seems like I am the only one buying them and now wonder if this was worse than going hungry.

I love how the population has collectively decided to buy everything but these. It actually hurts me a little to think I am the only one that bought some, what do they know that I don’t? It has ‘be good to yourself’ on the box, it was a no-brainer surely?

I’m the no-brainer apparently.

Due to the Coronavirus outbreak I am somewhat limited to what I can do in London, but I aim to post as much as I can during this time. I promise to have some great posts coming your way once this is all over and stay well during this difficult period.

Stay home, stay safe and happy blogging!

Sam

One positive to take from all of this

I have one bad habit every new year. Not the typical broken resolution but thinking ahead and forgetting to put the rose tinted glasses on first. Especially if everything in the past year or so has gone fairly well… I cannot help but to ask myself ‘what sh*t will go down next and when will it be?‘.

Where will it be?

You know how every December, TV stations will do an annual recap of the year? Major events that took place, new sports stars becoming household names, new political scandals. Some of these events come totally out of the blue and I find it fascinating that we cannot predict the next unpredictable event, but it’s inevitable.

I find it pretty scary in all honesty. I have always done this, and I remember in particular this being a very dark thought even as a kid. My earliest memory of this was whilst in the back seat of the car with my family, probably on the way back from my grandparents one evening. As a treat on the return journey (I would often get travel sick and they lived a good 40 minutes away) we would get a takeaway to enjoy on a Sunday evening before school the next day. I don’t know why I thought this then, or why I remember it, but we were outside of the fish and chip shop and I thought to myself ‘one day I am going to get very sick and it’s going to feel awful’ in whatever way my internal dialogue would have manifested at 10 or 11 years old. It is one of my earliest memories of self made anxiety and I tell you it hasn’t really ceased since. I like to obsess about the inevitability of something bad happening and the fear of not knowing when.

At the beginning of the year I did genuinely wonder what would be the next major catastrophe or world changing event. When would it be? Who would it affect? Is it natural or man made? Every year there is at least one huge news story. And knowing 2020 would be no different is frustrating as all we can do each and every time is get on with our lives in the hope that it stays at bay for as long as possible. Whatever it is. It is a monster that we know exists but we don’t know what to look out for.

2020 didn’t take long to become movie like. WW3 almost began as my New Years hangover was only just going away and that caused enough anxiety. For the first time in a while I had a reminder that life is fragile and realised that if something like that did kick off, there isn’t really anything we can do but experience it full on. Our individual lives are dictated by things much larger than ourselves and we have to hope that things just stay calm enough for us to live relatively stable lives. And this kind of stability that only some of us experience in the world today hasn’t always been the norm. This is the best time to have existed for so many of us. But it doesn’t mean this is how it will always be.

But WW3 didn’t happen and so far hasn’t. And as we were just calming down a virus decided to take over the world. Invasions don’t always come in the form of armies and is another reminder on top of the reminder that the ways in which our lives can be disrupted are endless. Ways we cannot predict or prepare well for. Ways that cripple businesses that have been around for hundreds of years. I swear if anyone told me that in 2020 a pandemic would spread and put the world on lock down I would be incredibly skeptical. McDonald’s would close its doors.

McDonald’s!!!

Sporting events would halt. The Premier league here in England would be postponed and stadiums would be considered as temporary hospitals. Liverpool are well on their way to winning their first title in 30 years and I wouldn’t be surprised if the virus emerged from a Manchester lab. I’m just saying…

But as this spreads, and as much as it is a killer, we have to see the positives. Hopefully this will be a warning to us all that we have to have solid plans in place for lock-downs in future. The death rate is pretty low in general, obviously it is higher the older we get and for those with other illnesses, but if it was the same danger to everyone the NHS and services around the world would struggle even more. It is bad, but could be a hell of a lot worse too. A virus that truly hits us all and wipes us out completely. As much as this is disrupting our lives it is sobering to think we have still got it good in the grand scheme of things. I remember the White Island volcanic eruption in New Zealand in December, an eruption with power we simply cannot comprehend as humans. It killed over 20 people visiting the island and a sight the survivors will not forget in a lifetime. The eruption caused an ash plume to rise 12,000 feet into the air. I mention this event because it was considered ‘a throat clearing’ in terms of volcanic activity. And I guess this virus, as dangerous as it is, is probably the same thing.

We are very lucky to witness ‘throat clearing’ events, in the sense that they could be so much more. They aren’t enjoyable, they aren’t safe but they aren’t species ending. If I had to have something positive to take from 2020 so far it would be that. It hasn’t ended us. But I hope it fuels a bigger desire to come together and be aware of the more catastrophic events that are possible, and inevitable.

I hope this is a positive post? It doesn’t really feel it now I read it back, but I was trying.

Also for anyone in the UK, at 8pm (20 minutes time!) the population will be clapping out of their windows to thank NHS workers for working hard to fight the virus. I will be doing so. Thanks mum for letting me know.

Let’s let them know they are are appreciated!

How long have you been blogging?

Today is the first day in God knows how long that I haven’t left the house at all. Not even for the bins or to pop to the shops. The closest I got was opening my bedroom window to let some fresh air in and shout obscenities to the neighbours to let them know I am still here. But that is about it really.

With this I have little to talk about, so today was the perfect day to find out I have been blogging for six whole years on WordPress.

I like the reminders for the little boost they give me. To remember that I started all the way back in 2014 in Newcastle and have done quite a bit since. Especially travel-wise. I feel travel has been my biggest accomplishment during this time as this was what I wanted to do the most.

It seems obvious looking at my blog today, but it didn’t start as a travel blog.

But it started here, from gazing over these views of Newcastle’s Quayside from the Castle Keep whilst the city was my home…

To soaking up Kuala Lumpur’s skyline by the pool on my 24th birthday…

To the beautiful beaches of Rio de Janeiro…

To moving to Sydney after booking a flight pretty tipsy at a wedding back in England (this really is how it happened)…

To arriving back in the UK in my 30’s (only barely in my 30’s!!), working and living in London.

I have been very lucky to have visited so many incredible places in recent years, and met some amazing people along the way. The pictures I have taken over the years don’t just remind me of the places I have been but the countless stories inbetween, some I forget for years before something brings it all back. A certain sound or smell, a food, meeting up with a friend again… our memories consist of so much. And being reminded always brings a smile to my face.

But six years… I like to think I have evolved as a blogger and writer in that time. My blog’s style has certainly changed, my writing style I don’t think has as much. Now, my main focus is to keep blogging but improve my photography. I have always loved taking photos however lacked that skill and professional camera to take truly great photos, so I am hoping to change that in the next couple of years. That is my new goal.

I have been out and about during my absence trying to take more unique shots, trying to find my niche and see photography from different perspectives. I have taken a bunch that I am pretty happy with, but I don’t plan on uploading them just yet. I am using them as more of a practice run, although I will start adding them to my blog eventually when I am getting into the swing of things.

I am also planning to upload very regularly on my Instagram feed, I started to however my trips around London have been delayed whilst we suffer this pandemic. I would greatly appreciate those that haven’t followed me there to consider it as it would mean a lot to me! Instagram is pretty much used as a portfolio for photographers (and us amateurs) and I think it is a great platform to share our photos on. Thank you to those that have!

And thank you for following me here on my blog. Six years has flown by, but to see so many familiar faces and new ones everyday is a joy.

How long have you been blogging? Have you had a milestone achievement during this time, or a favourite memory as a blogger? Has your blog changed over time?

Let me know, and I will see you in the comments.

Happy blogging!

Sam

Is it still Sunday?!

Sundays are a great day to work. I know how silly this sounds to people that get the weekend off however I prefer working the weekend. It’s much more peaceful.

Weekends are quiet working in a residential building. We don’t have to oversee hundreds of parcels arriving, we don’t have to constantly sign contractors in and out doing whatever work needs to be done on site. And despite most residents being off work there is little footfall in and around the lobby. The quiet time is such a contrast and it’s great. Security is still present because of the increase in drunks etc outside of the building, but if anything this makes the slower days more pleasant. We can actually have conversation and the team I work with are great.

You can finally hear the lobby music playing and is a relaxing end to the week. With the virus going round the less people the better right now. Some residents are debating whether or not to return to their home countries during all of this, and some already have. Three girls left yesterday with suitcases and I’m not exaggerating when I say they were wearing protective gear from head to toe. It looked like they were about to examine a murder scene but they were just getting a taxi to the airport, the driver in his own mask didn’t really seem too phased. They took some selfies with one friend they left behind, laughing and throwing peace signs up so it was all in good spirits.

This was yesterday. I am typing this just before 11pm on Monday British time, so I know it seems a little late as the weekend is well and truly over. But today was a weird day. It seemed like a Sunday after midday as the streets were quiet and our building started to close down some of the facilities late afternoon. The swimming pool, spa and steam room have been closed to our residents in all of this, our other facilities still open. For now. It seems like just a matter of time before more is closed, not just here but everywhere.

This morning felt more like a Monday though, as I was walking towards the roundabout people were up and about, workers working and business as usual. I saw this team installing flowers into the Alchemist’s wall, a bar not too far from me and the green exterior really is great to see in Old Street. That blue sky was welcomed too.

At work, a business owner came in as he was using our car park. He was pretty worried about his business (not the one above), now closed on weekends as sales are half of what they were before the virus. Staff have been laid off too. It is pretty crazy to think of all the things a business has to consider to survive, a virus! Not the first threat whatsoever. But it is here and now he is having to deal with it with his team.

Store shelves are emptying, our PM despite not calling for a full lockdown has asked Britons to refrain from mass gatherings, non-essential travel and a lack of physical contact with others. Avoid bars and restaurants, however kids still need to go to school. Many have brought up the fact that a school pretty much is a mass gathering, I am hoping there is some logic as to why classes are still on. Kids can’t be trusted to stay indoors if school is out? I am not sure.

I stocked up myself today to get me through the next couple weeks, I am pretty annoyed as I have just signed up for a gym that I doubt I will be using for the foreseeable future at least. I finally found the motivation and the universe has found a way for me to avoid it further. Perfect.

I really, really want to take some shots of London whilst it is quiet though. Have you seen the movie 28 Days Later? Maybe it won’t go this far buuuuut seeing a crowded city slowly become more deserted would be fascinating. It would be fascinating to document too, as who knows how long it will be before something makes us all go into a lockdown again. This isn’t just one city or wider state during a storm or something. It is global. As much as it is a burden there is something fascinating about that.

It is now after midnight, my eyes are closing. I would say it was a long 13 hour shift today, however time went by so fast. But it was incredibly tiring. I will stop there though as I realise those that really are working hard through this are the health workers. It isn’t an easy job at all. My thoughts go out to them, as well as those being treated and those that have sadly lost their lives.

The mood has really changed here in the UK, as I’m sure it has in so many other countries. People are beginning to admit defeat and self isolate, grabbing what they can to get them through. I plan to have a load of soup in the next couple weeks. Something I was brought up on and appreciate much more as an adult.

If you currently are in lockdown or believe it is around the corner, what is the one food you couldn’t be without? I would love to know.

See you in the comments hopefully, and stay safe!

Sam

I am going to start blogging everyday again

The more I see blue skies, the more I feel spring/summer is well on it’s way. St Paul’s Cathedral looks stunning with the suns glow, as does London in general. The wind is still strong (it doesn’t want to leave after the recent storms) however it would be tragic to waste a sunny day. A thick coat is all that’s needed.

I was thinking about my blog and the year ahead as I strolled. One thing that has always been the case with me is, the longer I stay away from something the harder it is to get back into it. And that has well and truly been the case with blogging. I thought about writing less, maybe 2-3 posts as week on my blog as I practice my photography and post daily photos on Instagram, but I feel I will struggle with that. I have been.

When I think about posting a couple times a week, I give myself less urgency to post. I have that same ‘you always have tomorrow’ excuse repeating in my head and giving myself an excuse to put it off a little. Before I know it, one, two, three days have passed without a post. Then a week. And then it’s almost a month and I’m like ‘where the hell has the time gone?!’. Basically I think I need that daily urgency, that immediate deadline, to help me focus and keep me on the ball. It isn’t the enjoyment I struggle with right now, more the urgency and motivation. I have always enjoyed blogging, but I think I enjoy it the most when doing it daily.

One of the reasons is because I actually get it done. I feel satisfied because I am constantly putting something out there, whether it is a lengthy post or just a couple of paragraphs. I am contributing something and everyday I do this I gain more motivation for the next day. It becomes habit. And I need this to get it done at all.

And with an absence from my blog, my travels have suffered too as I am not going to travel without making sure I take my decent camera and share with you all. So I really want to share some of the smaller things with you daily (like this cone stuck on a ground light near my apartment) as I enjoy sharing these moments as much as the bigger tourist adventures I go on. I always have and it gives an insight to a city that we don’t often see.

So I think I will give it another go. A challenge to keep me inspired and moving forward. Without a daily post I have been failing to remain consistent and present, and I am hoping it really kick-starts my travel posts as I have a ton of things to see.

I’ll start Friday 13th. I believe a lot of the time we create our own luck anyway.