Urban Explorer Spirituality

The gravel crunches under my feet as I walk down this old highway, working my way towards the looming structure in the distance. A quick jump over a chain blocking the driveway leads me down an untended dirt path that is only occasionally visited by the occasional teen looking for a good time or the occasional hunter looking to test a weapon, as is evident by the scattered shotgun shells and beer bottles.

A fence stands before me, blocking my entrance to the structure. A few swift moves and the fence no longer matters. I step forward, and am immersed in a world that stands still, one that has for the most part only been touched by time and nature.

As I spend the hours exploring, lost with only myself and my camera, I spend the afternoon in quite contemplation of myself, my society, and nature. The abandoned buildings are my sanctuary, an escape from life and a chance to find center and focus.

At the end of the day, as a drizzle falls around me, I am reluctant to return to the crazy world, but I must. I take my memories with me, captured in digital format, to help remember this moment.

Tags: exploring, photography, spirituality, urban