Even the striking beauty of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, couldn’t keep Rebecca Longman from wandering away. To London she went, where she dubbed herself the “Adopted Londoner,” but even that moniker is wearing out its welcome as she gets her bearings in her newest hometown of Stamford, Connecticut. Luckily, getting her bearings involves one of her favorite activities: walking.
Even in her adopted city, she’ll opt to proceed on foot over hopping aboard the iconic London Tube, as she explains in one of her articles. “My mode of choice?” she opines. “The two assets I was given at birth, that often I think people forget they have. I have abandoned the trusty tube in all but essential situations. Now, I walk.”
You can even tell this born explorer that she can’t work for almost six weeks—that’s how long she had to wait for her work permit when she moved here—but you won’t catch Rebecca sitting in front of her TV. Nope, she’s out hoofing it around town, exploring her new surroundings—and drinking tons of coffee in the process.
I can’t figure out if Rebecca spends more time walking or writing, because her blog is jam-packed with musings and observations about “sights, smells and sounds as I explore the world through words and pictures.” One thing is for sure, though: she doesn’t call her blog “City Girl Walking” for nothing!
Speaking of pictures, here’s one she shared with us, along with her thoughts about what inspires her to write, and how she finds perfection in the imperfect.
What inspires you to write? Enter the inspiration contest today and you could be featured here!
Photo credit: Rebecca Longman
Rebecca’s two cents:
What inspires my writing? Anything that knocks me off my perch. I write most freely when I feel a little bit uneasy. In the last year I have started a freelance consultancy business, got married and moved to the States from the UK. I’ve written more in the last year than I ever have. Whenever I need to express what I’m feeling, writing is my consistent friend. It’s like having a dog; it doesn’t answer back, it’s always there to greet me after a hard day, and it never fails to make me feel brighter.
The above photo is one of the first photographs I took when I moved across the pond. With its stony beach and rugged landscape, it inspires me to see the beauty in anything that isn’t perfect.
Indeed, Rebecca—if only we could all do that.
Be sure to check out Rebecca’s blog, City Girl Walking. And then tell me what inspires your writing, and the next article may just be about you.
I think what inspired me is imagination. If something can burrow its way into my subconscious then kill dwell on it.
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Oh, I like walking too. The best way to discover any city/place, whether one you’ve stayed in forever (but there’s always something new you’ll find) or a new one. And of course, I like writing too. Maybe in one of my posts, I’ll write about my love for walking. Thanks for the possible idea!
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Reblogged this on City Girl Walking and commented:
My post on @dreamplaywrite today. It’s a wonderful feeling to know others enjoy what I write and want to share it. Thanks to everyone for your support.
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Walking is wonderful for writing, though I constantly have to remind myself of that. I’m lucky to live out in the country, so there are plenty of sights and sounds around to draw inspiration from.
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A refreshing post. It’s the same for me. When I get tired of sitting and typing or writing by longhand, I roam the city and let the characters talk in my head. Sometimes I go to my favourite bookstore and stare at books while I’m listening to my characters bicker or comfort one another. The magic of walking.
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Walking has long been an inspiration of mine; before finally letting go of a driving phobia, I earned quite a bit of patience with a slow and steady rhythm of biking, walking and utilising public transit. As for inspiration, I barely had to try. The scenery is a rich buffet from which I love to sample. Hi, I’m Fonn 🙂
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The best ideas always come to me when I am walking to work. Which is frustrating! I have to wait hours before I can release them!
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My inspiration is tricky. It definitely peaks when I’ve spent the day reading other funny books/blogs AND then combine that with way too much caffeine, and then let those things mingle together and ferment for a few hours, and poof- inspiration hits right as I’m trying to fall asleep around 3 am!
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