Be a tourist in your own city
Travelling is a beautiful thing. We spend hours getting to different ends of the world with different cultures and traditions in hopes of relaxation and/or adventure, to further recognise parts of ourselves we never knew existed. As Marco Polo in Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities said:
"Arriving at each new city, the traveller finds again a past of his that he did not know he had: the foreignness of what you no longer are or no longer possess lies in wait for you in foreign, unpossessed places."
Thus a traveller returns home with new experiences and great new memories, which affect their everyday life by changing their point of view and teaching them to be more open and accepting to differences. However, in order to do and become that person, one doesn't necessarily have to travel far; very often it is the things that we pass everyday that hide beauty. There is a thing that many inspire to do: being a tourist in your own city.
A couple of days ago, I accompanied my sister to Ljubljana, Slovenia's capital city. I had been in this city before, but I never got to see all of it. Because my sister had errands to attend to, and it was a beautiful day, I found myself free and full of energy in the very centre of the city. Thus, I grasped the opportunity and explored it. I had a great time; I saw beautiful buildings, found many antique bookshops, found new photo spots and got to explore the interior of the National and University Library - the largest library in Slovenia.
So I encourage you to go out and take advantage of the place you live/work/spend a lot of time in. Take note of the little things, have some coffee in a cafe you've never been in, but most of all, learn to take joy in little things.
Below are some photos I took whilst in Ljubljana.
x, Valens
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