Oh Hiraeth

I love collecting things- antique bottles and crates, records, beach stones, shoes, vintage dresses- the list is embarrassingly long. But some of my all time favorite things to collect are hidden or special places. These are places where I will go to have a picnic lunch on a sunny day or to just sit and think or dream. I love the idea of mentally cataloging special places where I can retreat to at any point. I suppose that I’ve been collecting these places my entire life: a small meadow in the middle of the forest behind my childhood home, a beaten path around the reservoir by my apartment in Boston, a wide field often filled with giant rolls of hay during college. These are just a few examples that are forever saved in my mind as places where I can escape when overwhelmed, tired, or just want to catch my breath. Even now, I find myself automatically seeking out places like this, no matter how small. Whether it be a lovely alleyway in the middle of the city or a hidden path to a cove off of a highway, finding out these places wherever I am brings me even more joy than collecting tangible things.

Even though doing this kind of exploring comes naturally to me, or maybe because it’s something I consider normal, I often don’t stop and recognize how special that act can be. Part of seeking out wonder and beauty during every day moments means slowing down to recognize the seemingly normal things that you may overlook but truly cherish deep down inside. Something I often do while enjoying the loveliness of my hidden places is  imagine photoshoots that could happen there. If I’m honest, that’s probably because I want them documented in some way so as to never forget how special they are to me at this time. Thankfully, I have some amazing ladies in my life (and family) who are willing to indulge my silly ideas and spend an afternoon dancing around in pretty dresses. I took Marta and Tanya to a couple of places that are deeply rooted in my heart and we pretended to be fairies and had an all-around sweet and silly time.