With our technologically ‘connected’ lives, it is almost impossible to get properly lost when we travel somewhere new – but that means we miss out on one of life’s little pleasures. Author and adventurer, Jon Evans, laments: ‘Never being lost may sound good on paper, but it strikes one as akin to settling into a comfortable wheelchair, rather than learning how to run.’
PHOTOGRAPH: GALLERY STOCK
Our lives can be spent in the same places, day in and day out, and we become desensitised to our surroundings. We encourage autopilot to take over. But, when we walk down unfamiliar streets, our consciousness is heightened, as our brains have to be more active to understand our new environment. We see things we wouldn’t ordinarily notice, and find ourselves more engaged. It’s the experience that we enjoy when we step o~ the plane in an exotic location: new smells, sounds and sights. This stimulation is something we can recreate on our doorstep, simply by following an untrodden path.