In The Countryside

IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

For a while now, I have known that I'm an individual made of two halves, much like my star sign Gemini, and I need those two halves in order to make me whole. I like a bit of both, never one thing entirely. I'm never satisfied with one thing, I can't commit to one thing, because I appreciate the value in everything. Some mornings I wake up feeling one way, other mornings I wake up feeling the complete opposite, and I've learnt how to work with that. It's all about balance and following that inner compass, calibrated with your inner needs and wants, which guides you on which set of directions you're to follow on this particular day, in order to meet those needs and those wants.

One of the most important balances to me personally, is that infamous city:countryside fandango, where you either commit to one or the other, or instead find yourself lying somewhere in between the two. Like I said, I adore the city. In my heart of hearts I know hands down that I am made for the big city. The attraction and the promise and the possibilities it presents are too strong. Like a moth to a source of light, it continually draws me in and the spark of the city seems to spark life into me too. I adore living in Manchester for that very reason. The incredible architecture, the vastness of the place, the constant motion and whirlwind of activity. All the lights, the sounds, the people, the transport, the buildings, the hum of electricity, the infinite spark of life. I love it all. It seems to satisfy a part of my soul that aims for that constant stimulation. The restless part of me that can never quite sit still. That's what the city does for me.

Yet on the converse, I've grown up in the suburbs of a small city, right on the edge of the beckoning countryside, as did I grow up visiting places like Yorkshire, Devon and the mighty Peak District. Although city life is undoubtedly my calling right now, and in some respects has been the making of me, the countryside also makes up a big part of who I am too. I love the freedom of the outdoors. I love the fresh air spilling into my lungs, making me feel at one with nature. I love every shade of weather, I love the architecture of nature, I love the colours, the sounds, the serenity, the unapologetic beauty. I love the solitude, the peacefulness, the escapism. Standing on top of a cliff overlooking the bright blue sea, or on top of a hill that you've climbed and marvelling at the sweeping valleys and rolling hills below. Freeing yourself of the demands, cares, worries of everyday life, and instead connecting with yourself and the world, and giving yourself time to think, dream, explore.

As someone who is poised to over-do things, and finds this to be encouraged by the constant stimulation and buzz of city life, I increasingly crave that escapism from my mind and the world around me. As much as I need those wonders that the city can afford me, I also need to balance it out with the goodness of nature too, which is why this Easter I've been so intent on making sure I manage to get out into the countryside every so often. So far I've been on day trips to Chatsworth in Derbyshire, and the Bronte Country up in Yorkshire, and the serenity and beauty of those peaceful, stunning locations has been exactly what my busy mind needed to take a break and calm the heck down. It's been wonderful. So to celebrate the countryside, here are some photographs from my little expeditions for you to enjoy. And if it's been a while since you visited the countryside too, dear readers, then I strongly urge you to locate your nearest method of transportation and run like the wind. Get yourself to the countryside asap. They don't make Countryfile for no reason!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 PHOTOBOOK