Afternoon chaps,
Thank you so much, it is pretty humbling to hear people are wondering how I am.
So how am I? I am great thank you.
I hope all you chaps are doing great too?

So where have I been? What have I been up to..
To be honest, when I last posted here I was crashing hard. I wasn't in a good place. It was dark and I was alone.
Everything was falling to pieces. I felt lost and I didn't know what to do or where to turn.
Land Rovers! The only thing over the past few year that had brought me happiness wasn't doing it so much anymore.
Half because of a failed house sale, knowing I had wasted so much time, effort, money etc.
The other side half because of the lack of room.
Building the garage was a way to try and rekindle my passion.
I thought having a nice big, and most importantly dry work space would do that.
It didn't. I tried for a while and it just didn't feel the same. Somehow I must have enjoyed producing what I did with minimal supplies.
Somehow actually building the shed was more of a release than anything and I actually thoroughly enjoyed it.

It took me a while to admit defeat and think to myself I'm probably not going to ever finish this.
So about a year after moving into the new garage I decided to sell it.
Along with many many many other parts I had accumulated over the years.
That was it. There was no going back now. I literally sold the last 5 years of my life.
The only thing left. My green 90. The one I didn't want to let go!
I both loved but hated seeing it sat their everyday. It was good to see what I had created, but made me sad to see it just sat their doing nothing.
So about March time this year I decided it could finally go.
This wasn't easy. I felt like crying. But I knew it was for the best.
It was the last of my previous life and I knew I could always start again if I wanted to.


Time to back track a little bit.
May/June 2018.
The last 18 months or so had been an absolute hell hole.
I was getting deeper and deeper into a hole I couldn't get out of.
I had no friends. No one to talk to. I wasn't leaving the house at all other than for work. I couldn't speak to people, I had zero confidence. Even going to the shop was a massive challenge.

I decided to buy a bicycle. Exercise is good for you right. It makes you feel better.
Well it certainly helped a little.I could cycle for miles. Even if it was with a tear in my eye, with bulls*it thoughts running around my head.
Not long after I decided to buy my first ever proper camera.
I literally have no idea where this idea came from.
But this helped even more.
So off I would go on my bike with the camera. I found it allowed me to slow down in life, calm down and forget the world for a moment.
I had something new to learn. I love learning new things.

July 2018.
I decided to get back into Urban Exploring. i.e Exploring abandoned buildings.
I had done this for a short while when I was much younger. But it never really went anywhere.
Their was something about these places, the peace and tranquillity, the quietness of just me and my camera.
Photographing the forgotten world that most people don't even know exist.
Looking back on the past and what once was.
I could forget the outside world. I was happy. Albeit in a temporary state.
But it was a start. Things where looking up!

One of my first explores. In my own town.
I was in the top of an old theatre late one evening.
I'm in pitch black darkness. I hear some clattering and banging coming from the roof area.
The smallest of noises brakes the silence in these places.
Oh no I've got company!
Truth be told.. I absolutely sh*t myself!
I see torch light on the stage below.
I definitely have company! Damn.
I hastily pack away my stuff into my rucksack and head down the stairs gingerly, thoughts running through my head wildly.
What do I do?
Where do I go?
Their is only one way in and out of this place!
I have two options.
Hide until they leave and both of us have ruined nights.
Or I try and confront them and hope they're like minded people and not some young scrotes looking to trash the place.
I could hear them just below me.
I have no idea where this outburst of confidence came from, but I ran downstair trying to catch them in the act so to speak.
That day I met
Mr Robby and
Mr Chad.
We explored the place for a further 3 hours together.
Great people who I have since had days out with and have gone onto being some of my closest friends.
A day I will never forget!

To be continued...

Continued..

Throughout the rest of the year I met up with a couple of other people to explore places.
But the next highlight for me was..
New Years eve 2018/19
Ive never really been one for celebrating it before.
But this was something different.
There was a little meet up organised.
So I traveled down to London to meet 5 people I had never met before.
Most of us was in the same boat, having never met one and other.
But we all had the same passion, things where going well.
We picked a few more people up on the way. Their was now about 10-11 of us.
Urban exploring is a hobby like no other. It is nice to get a different perspective on things.
So we found a 40 plus story construction site with a decent view of the London eye to watch them from.
The clock strikes 12:00.
Wow what an experience. This is like nothing I have ever seen before. It was nice to get a different view and not just go for the tourist attraction below.
More and more people joined throughout the night. literally people from all over the world.
It's strange. Urban exploring made me feel like I was part of a community. Not just a misfit like I always have been.
All in all one of the best nights I had had in a very long time!




March 2019.

I start thinking. Dangerous I know!
I am 29 years old.
I haven't left the country for over 10 years.
I have been a recluse and barely seen or done anything with my life and I don't have a lot to show for it either.
Travel. I have always put it off for one reason or another.
Be it time, money or people to go with.
But mainly time.
As you lot know. I hated my previous job. Their was never a good time to go so I didn't. I just worked all the time. I had two or three Holliday days a year if I was lucky.
I was promised everything. I gave my world and more to be left for dead in a ditch when I was done with.
But that's all in the past now!
In the present I am now self employed and it is so much easier.

The world is a beautiful place and I want to see it more than ever before. (photography made me realise this more than anything)
But by this time I have isolated myself for quite some years.
The few friends I had when I was younger are all but gone.
The odd ones that where left where all settling down, buying houses, getting married, having children etc..
But me.. Oh no not me!
I am alone and scared.
I decide to book a little trip. Just a long weekend away. Lets see how I find it?..
The destination is Amsterdam.
I have no idea why because I don't smoke the wacky stuff.
I just knew it was an easy place to get too and navigate.
I haven't been on a plane since I was about 13 years old. So I wasn't up for that.
So the Eurostar it was.

Trip done and back home. Yes I enjoyed it. But I don't know. I was nervous, scared. I don't really know what to think.. Was solo travel for me.. I don't think I'm cut out for this..



July 2019.

I have just turned 30 years of age.
I get a message out of the blue from a lad I have only over talked too over the internet.
"do you want to come on a weeks road trip around France?"
Hmm.. Do I? Don't I..
Bare in mind this trip starts in 4 days..
I speak to the boss. We don't have massive amounts on over the next week.
F*ck it. What am I waiting for. This is an opportunity I can't turn down.
Let's go!
I travel to Lowestoft to meet one kid.
There is 4 of us on this trip. I have never met any of them. I don't think I have ever been so nervous. Some others had met before. Some where in the same boat as me.
This was a trip just exploring abandoned French Chateau's.
Driving from location to location. The south of France is such a nice place.
We have no accommodation. Finding random spots to camp or hammock as we go. Or even spending the night in a Chateau itself.
Quite honestly one of the best weeks I have ever had!
And I had met some fantastic people.


August 2019.

I keep having this thought.
"I would rather see the world alone than not at all"
I'm not getting any younger and I'm not going to be able to do this stuff forever. Now is the time.
I start planning the trip.
Paris, Frankfurt and cologne are where I plan to go.
I want to push myself a little more this time. Going to more than one location over the space of a week.
I still don't feel comfortable going in an airport so I take the Eurostar to Paris. Taking trains between the other places.
I decide to get a flight home from Cologne. What was I so scared about!
But it was nice to get the first one out of the way. Onwards and upwards hey!


When in Paris..

This was supposed to be a normal trip. But I've never been normal. In fact I've lost the plot.
Urban exploring is a very broard spectrum. Roof topping comes under that.
I travel to La Defence. The business district in Paris.
I want a different perspective than the usual tourist.
I find a massive construction site that is possible.
Im in a place I have never been. A language I can't speak.
I want to do it! I can't! I am f*****g sh*ting myself. I am more scared than ever before.
I see security wondering about. I hear dogs barking. F*CK!
I sit myself down. I try to calm myself down.
"You have to do this"
"You will regret it if you don't"
I spot my chance. Ok. Lets go!
I roll under the fence and run into the site as quickly as I can. I find the staircase and walk up 40 plus stories as quietly as I can.
I get to the top of the stairs. I stand their in complete silence for about 15 minutes. Every little noise is so loud.
I can hear someone coming up the stairs. What is it? I see the lights moving..
No it is my imagination. The wind blowing things.
Let's just get on the roof.
Wow. These views will never get old to me.
You are no longer a tourist. This makes it so worthwhile to me.
The top is lit up like a Christmas tree. Surely everyone can see me. Maybe not..
I take a few quick shots and get down as quick as I can.
Wow. What a night. I was so happy.

Frankfurt and cologne where a much more normal and a touristy part of the trip. But still thoroughly enjoyable.





September 2019.

Having come back from my little solo trip I got talking to two of the people I went to France with back in July.
Where shall we go next?
Kiev, Ukraine.

We spent a week here and what a beautiful place it is.
Everyone at work or I spoke to was saying why the hell are you going their. People seem to think it is full of hatred and crime etc. I don't fully understand what they're thinking. When in reality it is the complete opposite.
In fact I want to return to go to Chernobyl at some time next year.
Whilst their we climbed Moscow bridge. And again. Wow. What an experience! Not exactly the usual tourist thing to do..



October 2019.

I got talking to another chap I had met once back in August on a little trip to London.
Deciding to do a little trip to Europe together. We chose,
Krakow, Poland and Austria.
We did the Auschwitz tour whilst in Krakow.
A strange but interesting place. Not somewhere I would go again, but something I'm glad I've done once.
We flew from Krakow to Vienna, Austria.
Vienna is actually I city I really want to visit. It just wasn't one for this trip.
So we rented a car and drove off into the countryside.
It was late when we arrived, so we drove into the night to reach our first destination ready for the morning.
We slept in the car that night. Holy sh*t it was cold! No sleeping bags, no blanket, nothing.
We woke up to sunrise is quite possibly the most beautiful place I have ever been.
Hallstatt.

Before I had even planned this trip I saw a picture. Since then I had always wanted to do it.
That is the Austria sky ladder.
I had hours upon hours of research, their is very little information on the internet about it.
So we just headed in that direction. I had a map with various pin to get to where we wanted to be. We headed up two roads for about 45 minutes. Both of which where closed.
One had a locked gate. The other had a massive logging operation blocking the road.
We where starting to loose hope.
I had one last pin on the map as to where we might be able to do it. This was on the opposite side of the mountain.
We're getting closer, we spot the ladder very faintly in the distance.
There is someone on it! Sh*t this must be possible.
We spent a further half a day going on a massive wild goose chase trying to work out where to hire the harnesses from.
Finally we have a harness and hardhat.
We know how to get up the first part of the mountain and plan to get the first cable car up in the morning.
Theirs not a lot to say about the mountain itself other than it is one of the best things I have ever done.
It is a little dodgy in places, but great fun.
They advise you have a guide to do it, but where's the fun it that
The lad who I was with did film our bridge crossing with his drone.
Unfortunately he crashed it into the side of the mountain and it plummeted 1500m to its death.
It is pretty gutting that all that footage is lost. But the memories will stay with me forever regardless.
We drove back to Vienna in the daylight this time so we just stopped off at some stunning little villages along the way.

And that was it. 2 1/2 days in Austria.

I just wish we had longer. It is such a beautiful place and somewhere I want to revisit.




That gets us up to date where we are right now.
I'm not sure where or when the next adventure will be.
I have been asked if I want to go to Slovenia next month. Somewhere that was definitely on my list.
Unfortunately I sent my passport off for renewal 2 days ago.
If I get it back in time that could be it.
If not it will likely be early next year before I go anywhere else.


To finish.

I miss this place, and the people who come on here.
You lot helped me get through some very tough and dark times, and for that I cannot thank you enough!
It allowed me to meet some fantastic people, and the ones I didn't meet where still great to me.


As for where I'm at now. I am the happiest I have been for a very long time.
I feel alive again. I feel young and that I want to go on adventures and see something new.
It would be a very bold statement to say a camera and urban exploration has saved me, but I honestly don't know where I would be without it now.




If you have read this, I thank you.
It is long and I am not very good with words.
But I feel I owe you this at least.

I have a tear in my eye writing some of this. Because it has made me look back ar how far I have come. It is not very often I do that. This last 6 months especially have been like no other. I feel I have grown as a person, become more confident than in the last 10 years of trying.


If you want to see more of what I have been doing as Gordon says. I upload a few things on FB.

https://www.facebook.com/aaron.morris.794

Glad to see your ok Arron, I do a fair bit of Urbexing, i can spend hours looking for various places to visit and certainly takes my mind to another place/time.
Think you should start a thread about your adventures...

Aaron,

Sounds fantastic, I will take a look at the pictures on FB.

Cheers

It had been suggested to me I put this in anything goes. So maybe I will delete this and move it there.
I don't know.
I will also try and attach some photos later. It appears most are too large to attach direct.

Do you watch exploring with fighters on the tube ?

Aaron,

Depression is a horrible illness I've suffered from it most of my life and it's taken me to some dark dark places but like you I recently started cycling and have found that the exercise helps not just physically but mentally much better than any pill from a doctor. I'm pleased you have been pushing yourself and travelling making new friends and experiences. Your pictures are spectacular and as I've said previously you have a good eye and talent when taking pictures. It's been a pleasure following your build threads on here and i feel privileged to share in your new adventures on BookFace.

Thanks
Gordon

Glad to see you back. And even better to hear that you've been having some adventures. I always used to have a look at derelict houses and other buildings if I could get in, well before 'urbex' was fashionable, and find it very rewarding. If you look at them with the eye of someone who likes knocking nails in, it's great because you can see how they're put together, look at the workmanship and techniques used and all the other little things, like people's fingerprints in mortar that's over 100 years old, changing tastes in wallpaper and clues as to how our forebears lived.

It's such a good feeling hearing from you on LZ again. I have missed you enormously on here. You inspired me big time when I started on here and so you are a major part of LZ for me. Your rebuilds, the pace and ease with which you did them, was second to none. When one ended I couldn't wait for the next. I know loads of us felt the same. And, I disagree, your writing style made them facinating to read. You have a talent there too! (Spelling could be a wee bit better )
It's brilliant to hear of what you've been up to ! Christ, from lacking in confidence to international dare devil. Stunning adventures which I, for one, would like to see in AG cos I'm not on FB. Epic pictures anorl.
Great to hear from you

swisstoe said:

Glad to see your ok Arron, I do a fair bit of Urbexing, i can spend hours looking for various places to visit and certainly takes my mind to another place/time.
Think you should start a thread about your adventures...

Click to expand...

Thank you. Much the same as me then. I may well start a thread.

neilly said:

Aaron,

Sounds fantastic, I will take a look at the pictures on FB.

Thank you.

Cheers

Click to expand...

swisstoe said:

Do you watch exploring with fighters on the tube ?

Click to expand...

I actually used to do and used to enjoy it.
Nowadays I feel he's turned into a bit of a co*k womble.

TorsionBhudda said:

Aaron,

Depression is a horrible illness I've suffered from it most of my life and it's taken me to some dark dark places but like you I recently started cycling and have found that the exercise helps not just physically but mentally much better than any pill from a doctor. I'm pleased you have been pushing yourself and travelling making new friends and experiences. Your pictures are spectacular and as I've said previously you have a good eye and talent when taking pictures. It's been a pleasure following your build threads on here and i feel privileged to share in your new adventures on BookFace.

Thanks
Gordon

Click to expand...

Thank you so much Gordon. I appreciate your kind words and thoughts.
I'm glad you're feeling a little better. I always refused to go to doctors. I couldn't bring myself to do it. (it was probably the worst thing I could have done) I like you have suffered most of my adult life. I struggle to remember times when I didn't feel bad.
I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I hold my hand out to anyone who is struggling and needs help. To talk or anything.
Those build threads where my life at one time of day, It is always good to hear people enjoyed them.
Maybe one day there will be another. The thought has crossed my mind.

Thank you mate. Many more adventures to come hopefully

Brown said:

Glad to see you back. And even better to hear that you've been having some adventures. I always used to have a look at derelict houses and other buildings if I could get in, well before 'urbex' was fashionable, and find it very rewarding. If you look at them with the eye of someone who likes knocking nails in, it's great because you can see how they're put together, look at the workmanship and techniques used and all the other little things, like people's fingerprints in mortar that's over 100 years old, changing tastes in wallpaper and clues as to how our forebears lived.

Click to expand...

Thank you Mr Brown.
Yes it is something that has always interested me. Wondering around for hours on end looking at every detail. Looking through documents 100s of years old, looking back on how things once was.
I did it for a short while when I was about 18-19. Back then I didn't have a camera, not even one on my phone.
But I lost my way completely and stopped doing it.
Getting back into it was one of the better decisions I have made.

Al2O3 said:

It's such a good feeling hearing from you on LZ again. I have missed you enormously on here. You inspired me big time when I started on here and so you are a major part of LZ for me. Your rebuilds, the pace and ease with which you did them, was second to none. When one ended I couldn't wait for the next. I know loads of us felt the same. And, I disagree, your writing style made them facinating to read. You have a talent there too! (Spelling could be a wee bit better )
It's brilliant to hear of what you've been up to ! Christ, from lacking in confidence to international dare devil. Stunning adventures which I, for one, would like to see in AG cos I'm not on FB. Epic pictures anorl.
Great to hear from you

Click to expand...

Ah. Thank you. It is fantastic to hear from you too.
I may have inspired you when it came to your rebuild. But you helped me massively when I was on here.
It honestly inspires me when I hear how much people enjoyed them.
They say you don't know what you've got until it's gone, and truth be told. I miss them in a way!
I would be lying if I said it hadn't crossed my mind to get another.

I'm happy you've enjoyed my little update. Lacking confidence would be an understatement. I had nothing left to give.
International daredevil might be a little far But in a way doing these types of things I shouldn't be doing gets the heart going, it makes me feel young and alive again.
Ok I might be getting a little bit old for this type of stuff, but oh well, I am enjoying it and will try to carry on whilst ever I can

Thank you so much, and thank you for your kind words.
I will try and post a thread in AG tomorrow when I work the photo situation out.

P.s..
My spelling, typing and grammar has always been shocking.
I try, and even in this day and age of spell check, it is still sh*t..

aaronmorris said:

Ah. Thank you. It is fantastic to hear from you too.
I may have inspired you when it came to your rebuild. But you helped me massively when I was on here.
It honestly inspires me when I hear how much people enjoyed them.
They say you don't know what you've got until it's gone, and truth be told. I miss them in a way!
I would be lying if I said it hadn't crossed my mind to get another.

I'm happy you've enjoyed my little update. Lacking confidence would be an understatement. I had nothing left to give.
International daredevil might be a little far But in a way doing these types of things I shouldn't be doing gets the heart going, it makes me feel young and alive again.
Ok I might be getting a little bit old for this type of stuff, but oh well, I am enjoying it and will try to carry on whilst ever I can

Thank you so much, and thank you for your kind words.
I will try and post a thread in AG tomorrow when I work the photo situation out.

P.s..
My spelling, typing and grammar has always been shocking.
I try, and even in this day and age of spell check, it is still sh*t..

Click to expand...

I think going abroad on your own or with people you've only known on the internet shows big bottle! Well done, mate. Life changing experiences that sound awesome. We do a fair bit of travelling around Europe too and love it.
Don't rush in to another rebuild, I'm sure you'll know when it's the right time should you get the urge.
By the way, you are young. Very young!
I owe you a lot, you encouraged me to start my rebuild thread, you gave me loads of advice, I learnt an enormous amount from following your threads, your work inspired me and gave me something to aim for, reading your threads and looking through your pictures gave hours of entertainment and you even sent me valuable tools to help me with my build. So, just honest words. I wouldn't have said them if they weren't true.
And another thing, engaging and interesting writing does not rely on the spelling. You do have an engaging writing style and there's no doubt another talent there.

Scott Fitzgerald spelt atrociously but he managed to knock out a few classics of American literature like the 'Great Gatsby', 'Tender is the Night' and 'The Last Tycoon'. Made into extremely popular films and well loved even today. It's the storytelling that matters. A good editor can take care of the infelicities in spelling and sentence construction.

When I was young I was never really into travel as some of my acquaintances were. It was all so stressful, for reasons you describe, Aaron. In recent years I've had to go abroad a lot with my work, and because I'm going with people who've been before, going to do something interesting and worthwhile and meeting colleagues out there who seem reasonably pleased to see me it's all much better. And even, dare I say it, quite enjoyable.

So travelling with a purpose and doing something interesting when you're out there makes all the difference.