When I met Jackie in London, we went to Camden as neither of us had ever been there before. Camden is such a cool place, it's amazing how it's only a couple more stops on the tube than Buckingham Palace or Notting Hill and it could not be any more different! I had always wanted to see Camden, and although (as you can see from the photos) it was quite a dreary day, it did not take away from just how impressive and unique the entire place is.
The first thing I noticed was all the buildings. On tonnes of the shop fronts (as you can see in the photos), there are three-dimensional structures protruding out of the buildings - each of them significant to whatever the store below it is. For example, the jean store (above) has a metal pair of legs wearing jeans jutting out of the top level of the store front. Likewise, the shoe store has four different types of shoes - in giant dimensions - jutting out of the store front. I found it opened my mind a lot to just take the chance to look around me and take in this amazingly unique place that was like nowhere I had ever been before. 
Another one of the main things I noticed about Camden was the people. Never in my life have I seen so many different types and styles of people in one place, each one different to the next in copious different ways. Every single person I passed had their own unique look, style, hairstyle, fashion sense and quirky other things that made them individual - such as detailed, colourful tattoos and piercings. Every person seemed so comfortable in their own skin, and I never felt as though I was being judged for anything when I was there - what I was wearing, my accent/where I was from, what I looked like, even when I was stopping every 10 seconds to take photos to capture it all, - everybody seemed so open minded and so accepting, and just not even wasting a moment caring about what anyone else thought or what anyone else was doing.
We saw two people waltzing in the street outside a music store, looking so incredibly happy and content and it made me smile to see that. That's something I think is missing from a lot of places I've been, not so much in England - definitely not in London all that much, everyone there seems quite open-minded and accepting of everybody else. But particularly where I am from at home, so many people spend so much of their time judging others for their choices or actions or clothing or who they choose to hang around with or have a relationship with or how they do or don't do their make-up and where they go and what they enjoy doing. And I have such a hard time understanding why. It seems like such a waste of energy to me.
Being in Camden, Notting Hill and in London in general really put things into perspective for me and I realised it is the open-minded, all-accepting attitude of the people there that makes it one of my favourite places to be and it's why I feel so content and at ease when I am there, despite the busyness of the city itself. It made me realise that if people can be so open-minded and free-spirited and all-accepting like that in a place that is literally just across the pond, surely everyone can try a little harder to practice that in their own lives, wherever that may be in the world. I bet you'll feel lighter, more carefree and more content once you stop concerning yourself so much with other people and what they do or wear and why they do so, and what those other people may think of you. Because really, who cares? Why should it matter? If you're happy doing something or wearing something or being with someone or doing a certain hobby, why should it matter if others have an opinion on that? Unless it's someone close to you, why should they give a damn? And why should you waste time giving a damn what they think? You know what they say, "Those who matter don't mind, and those who mind don't matter." Think about that the next time you feel insecure about the way someone looks at you and frowns or whispers to a friend. They more than likely don't matter to your life in the grand scheme of things, and instead of assuming they're saying something bad, open your mind and your heart and decide that they are complimenting you and admiring you. Do you. No matter what.
(That turned into a ramble that was not planned, but I believe it was an important ramble all the same.)
Jackie and her friend Katie wanted to get their ear pierced (tragus) while we were there, so we found a tattoo and piercing studio (there are literally TONNES to choose from, there is one every ten metres, and I am not exaggerating about that) that would do it for them. After some pep talks and calming down, they both emerged smiling, slightly sore but glad they had gone through with it.
We strolled through Camden Lock and the hundreds of little stalls in there selling every single thing you could imagine - make up bags that said "I love you more than Kanye loves Kanye," antique cameras that still worked, handmade jewellery, paintings, photo frames, candles, handmade greeting cards, Vintage clothing, band t-shirts and tonnes more interesting things. You could spend hours in there just wandering around. We were swiftly drawn in by the smell to the food section of the market. The scents wafting out could be picked up anywhere on the street for a mile. Food stalls of all cuisines and nations adorned the streets, all squashed on top of one another, beautiful colours and smells of dishes greeting your eyes everywhere you looked. SO GOOD. 
I would love to explore Camden more sometime soon, I've heard so many amazing things about the place and although I'm satisfied with what I saw in my time there, I'm intrigued to find out more about this unique place which unintentionally almost hides its unparalleled charm in the corner of London Town. I would definitely recommend a visit here.
Please feel free to share your experiences if you have ever been somewhere like this that made you feel accepted and free, or if there is some place in the world that you love for some reason, where ever that may be, or even your thoughts on what I discussed in this post about the importance and value of feeling comfortable in your skin - I would love to hear about your opinions, thoughts and experiences. Feel free to leave a comment or tweet me @Siof_ .
Thank you so much for reading,
Síofra
♡
P.s. Follow me on Instagram (@siofiee150112) for more travel photos and life updates!
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