thoughts on my uk trip

Oscar and I, in one of the #veryrare moments when I wasn't meandering the streets of London alone, did a quick shoot on my iPhone last Friday.

It's easy to think that it's the big, momentous occasions that make up life. And while I don't necessarily disagree with that...as of late, I have been stopping to smell the proverbial roses, reveling in the silent pockets between life's moments, and basking in the commonplace occurrences of day-to-day activities.
I didn't come to the UK to embark on some grand adventure. The nature of my work (which encompasses the entirety of my life) is extravagant and showy by definition, when I myself am quite the opposite. I needed a break. And I needed a break away from home--even being in the same country was too much for me. I came to the UK to do exactly what I do at home, just 5,437 miles away. I spent a great deal of time walking alone, eating alone, and reading and writing alone. Alone, but never lonely.
I made it a point to not make this a "blogging" trip, or have sponsors, or stay in beautiful hotels, or even bring proper luggage. Backpacking, if only for a week, is both difficult and so enriching. Backpacking alone, arguably more so. Besides, the masochistic side of me quite enjoys when times are tough and it feels like everything is going wrong (a scenario easily attained when traveling solo in a foreign country with no cellphone data). Tribulation is so character-building. It either proves to me that yes, I am a badass, or it helps me grow to become one. I also found an indescribable tranquility in being this lone, floating organism with nowhere concrete to stay, no plans, and almost no possessions to my name. Trips like these are both physical and spiritual journeys for me, and I definitely feel like I found myself a little more last week.
The Look: Motel coat. Acne Studios moto. Joe's Jeans top. Wildfox jeans. Dr. Martens boots. Quay sunglasses.
photography by Oscar Jiang