Escaping The City
I don’t get allow myself too much time to leave London and see other parts of the UK, let alone the world. Manchester was a way to escape the city.
‘A change of scenery, for however short, can jolt you into action. Out of routine and back into action.’
People have preferences.
Their own priorities.
They place things above others.
From person to person, this is different.
I like to travel, but for purpose and try not to leave where I am if I don’t need to.
Means I don’t get out of London much.
I haven’t seen a lot of corners of the UK because of it.
I have when I was younger and travelled with family, but not now.
I’ve been to Liverpool and now Manchester in the last two years.
But what I noticed today, is that I need to take more of those day trips.
I need to get out of the city.
Not to escape any problems, just to be feel detached.
You see, I have been working very hard (or I think I have) over the last six weeks.
On a variety of different things.
But I couldn’t crack this transcribing thing.
I had a lot to do and I hated to do the transcribing.
But today, a day after returning back from Manchester. I did four in one day and finished them all.
They’re done.
It’s rather anti-climatic.
But I say good riddance.
Now I can get onto business.
I think a lot of that surge to get it done came from pressure, but more so from being on a train for four hours out of a twenty four hour day.
I usually do that on my commute to university (okay more like three) but it’s uncomfortable and it involves changes.
London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly is just over two hours.
It’s comfortable.
I booked a table seat in advance so I got room to transcribe.
I got two done on the train and I saw I only had a few left.
I dedicated the whole of Thursday to doing them.
I finished them hours ago, but I’ve been thinking about what’s next.
I feel more purposeful and more energised.
Nothing, apart from meeting my friend and an old teacher, happened on my trip.
It was maybe those two meetings and the whole experience of removing myself from London that allowed me to focus on what I needed to.
I can’t say that it’ll be a regular occurrence, but I definitely will make an effort to do weekend trips that require me sleeping overnight somewhere.
Although I feel tired from sleeping on a fresh blow-up mattress, I feel better about everything else.
Less stressed, more focused and more aware.
Reading week is to reassess and move forward.
I did mine subconsciously and I’m glad I could execute on this goal.
Escaping the city