I’ve not yet planned the direction of this blog post, and I’m certainly writing aimlessly. I’m currently sat in one of my most favourite places ever (the site I’ve spent all my summers at… in their wonderful library.) I’m surrounded by some of the coolest-looking ‘old-school’ books – does that make sense? Basically… the books are really old and they smell wonderful (haha, so odd… but if you share my love of cool-looking things then you’ll know what I mean…) 

When I was younger this library used to scare me (or creep me out at the least)… the library is in the ‘hall’ (Trewan Hall is the name of the place), and it’s old, traditional and the atmosphere is lovely. But when I was younger there used to be a painting hanging on the main wall, in between the ‘gothic’ style windows… I used to visit the library solely for this painting, it was a painting of a man, and as you walked across the room the eyes followed you… it was both awesome and terrifying. 

My younger self used to create elaborate, imaginative stories about this painting… how it was haunted and all that kind of stuff. As the hall is located in front of a huge field and next to some woods it really was the perfect setting for some sort of eerie story… anyway, now that I’m older I appreciate the solitude and wonder of this place. I’ve experienced so much here… happiness, sadness and fear – it was the place I returned to after a very traumatic experience when I was younger, and a few months later we returned again in the winter, when the fields were snow-covered and there was several log fires burning to heat up the hall.

I think my thought trail is somewhat romantic at the moment – partly because I’m here in Cornwall, and this is the place where I really do seem to strip back to the basics, and I focus on the natural stuff (the wonderful landscapes, the air, the smells, the animals and of course… literature.) Even though I have access to the internet (I mean, how else would I be writing this?) I tend to try and ignore that all whilst I’m here… and as cheesy as it sounds… I like to  be at peace with myself. I also think my thoughts are pretty romantic due to the book I’ve just finished reading. 

If you read a few posts back you’ll be aware that I’ve been reading Mind‘s ‘Dear Stranger‘ book… I just finished reading it this morning, and I really really enjoyed the book. In some ways I found it similar to the concept of this blog… I started Dearest Someone, as a blog to write and share my thoughts/experiences with ‘someone’ – a stranger, someone who would listen, yet Dear Stranger is writing to the reader (a stranger). On the topic of happiness, each individual letter shares personal perspectives, thoughts and experiences concerning mental health. One thing that I have taken from this book is that happiness is fleeting, it is transient yet wonderful. We should try to grab as many happy moments as possible, we should identify when we are feeling content, and what makes our hearts sing – and I couldn’t have timed reading this book any better as it’s continuously reminded me to stop and take in my surroundings, and being in Cornwall it has been a match made in heaven.

I certainly recommend Dear Stranger to you, in fact I certainly recommend any book to you. Books are wonderful. They take you away to places you’ve never experienced, they teach you about new worlds, new experiences, the actual world, and they open your mind to things that are completely, 100% not derivative from your past, you own struggles. They are a product of what makes us so wonderful – they are a product of imagination, passion, truth and wonder. Read a book I beg ya!

Adios amigos x

Here’s some photos of the library I’m currently sitting in:

(Though apologies for the poor quality – they’re taken on my phone!)