What Urbex has done for me

Echo · 21 Feb 2015, 12:34 am

Urbex has changed my life significantly.
I grew up in rural QLD for most of my childhood, so when we moved to suburban Melbourne 4 years ago things didn't go so well. I became addicted to screens, and to be honest you can hardly blame me. When your backyard is the size of a postage stamp life can get pretty boring.

Urbex has changed me and I'm going to touch on a few things that I have noticed.

1. I am more observant. When I'm on a train, or in a car, or just walking along now I'm always looking at what's around me. If I see a building with graff on it or broken windows etc I make a mental note to do a closer inspection. Urbex has changed the way I see the world. Whereas before my vision was clouded by facebook and other junk now I look around a lot more. I notice things I never noticed before. It's amazing.

2. It gets me out of the house. Before I got into urbex I was really into online role playing games. I would go weeks without leaving the house. Content to play with pixels on a screen and talk to my 'friends' halfway around the world. Now that I have discovered urbex I can never say I have nothing to do. There are 1000s of locations just waiting for me, and if I'm lucky I'll get to each and every one of them at some point.

3. Social interaction. I was never particularly popular at school and to be honest I never really tried to be. I was happier with my online friends. But now that I'm older that just doesn't cut it anymore. I really like to talk and meeting new people is something I've really gotten into lately. I mean so far I've only met 2 other urbexers but I feel a close connection with you all. The way I was welcomed in to the community was so friendly and everyone is so much more mature than my online 'friends'. It's a pleasant environment to be a part of.

4. The feeling that you're a part of something. I don't know how to put this one exactly, but it's just that special feeling you get when you think that you're a part of something that most people don't do. You are an Urban Explorer. You go places the majority of the population will never see. You do things most others will never do.
My favourite quote as of late 'Live a life you will remember.' That's what I'm doing at the moment, I'm creating memories. Every time I write my name and a date inside a drain I dream of the day I will be walking in that drain 20 years from now and think OMG... 20 years ago I was here. That feeling is going to be sad and wonderful at the same time.

So I think that basically wraps it up for me. Urbex has had a massive positive effect on my life and I hope it can continue to do so for 10, 20, 30 or who knows how many more years.

What changes has urbex brought to your life?

Aydun · 21 Feb 2015, 9:55 am

It led me to the sorry realization that ninja turtles aren't real.

DeScent · 21 Feb 2015, 10:30 am

What an AWESOME POST Echo

Urbex has done very similar things to my life

1. Goals to Achieve

2. New things to Learn

3. Self Discipline

+ I get to look at & photograph Pussinboots's bum in drains and abandos

Midget · 21 Feb 2015, 11:40 pm

DeScent wrote:+ I get to look at & photograph Pussinboots's bum in drains and abandos

Lesbi-honest, that's the only thing you're here for.

Echo, what RPGs did you play?

Echo · 22 Feb 2015, 12:02 am

Midget wrote:
DeScent wrote:+ I get to look at & photograph Pussinboots's bum in drains and abandos
Lesbi-honest, that's the only thing you're here for.

Echo, what RPGs did you play?

Mostly runescape. Had like 133 days played over 5 years.

Now I play Counterstrike when I do game.

Midget · 22 Feb 2015, 1:38 pm

Back in the day, we Asians were all about MapleStory.

Echo · 22 Feb 2015, 1:49 pm

Midget wrote:Back in the day, we Asians were all about MapleStory.

Gayyyyyy

Midget · 22 Feb 2015, 2:14 pm

Echo wrote:
Midget wrote:Back in the day, we Asians were all about MapleStory.
Gayyyyyy

MapleStory is all about hardcore grinding. Epic!

Aydun · 22 Feb 2015, 3:04 pm

Can confirm that MapleStory is great.

Midget · 22 Feb 2015, 3:22 pm

aydun wrote:Can confirm that MapleStory is great.

#truth #adminSponsor #MapleStory

theedge · 23 Feb 2015, 4:06 pm

Taking time in finding out and appreciating the background and history of a site helps too.

For example with many abandoned industrial sites there is always a story particularly with the workers and we must learn to show sympathy and respect for that and not let our egos get in the way. That's a hard one which I'm still learning about.