Hey everyone! I’m so happy to be posting here on Amanda’s blog while she is off getting married – how very exciting. I can’t wait to see all of the photos from her wedding – I’m a sucker for all things romance, and I just know that Amanda will make the most beautiful bride!
Keeping with the theme of all things love and romance, today I thought I’d talk to you all about one of my greatest loves – the wonderful city of Leeds.
I know it might seem odd to be in love with a place, especially one as unassuming as Leeds – I mean, it’s no New York is it?! But this city has been the setting for so many of my happiest memories as an adult. I’ve grown up in this city, built a career, met some of my best friends, fallen in love. So much of my self is tangled up in this one place that I can’t help but be in love with it.
It’s been 9 years since I first lay eyes on this place that I now call home, and 8 years since I piled all of my belongings into the boot of my Mum and Dad’s car ready to head across the M62 with a stomach full of nerves.
I can still remember the day my parents dropped me off at my uni halls – I was full of anxious and excited energy, so unsure of what to expect. I fell in love with Leeds almost instantly, getting to know all of my favourite haunts and making friends that are more like family to me now. I fell in love with the buzz and the atmosphere of a city on the cusp of a major regeneration, and the friendly people and sense of community made it feel like home pretty much straight away.
The thing with Leeds is that it’s quite different from a lot of other UK cities. It’s compact but truly cosmopolitan, brimming with cool places to eat, drink and shop – including super hip rooftop bars, gorgeous Victorian shopping arcades and award winning restaurants. And every month Leeds plays host to hundreds of gigs, exhibitions, festivals and lectures – you name it, you can do it here.
But it’s also incredibly friendly – there’s a real sense of camaraderie and togetherness, the buses are filled with chatter and people smile at each other on the street. The personality of Leeds is so unique and welcoming that you can’t help but feel relaxed here.
Another major plus point is that you can hop on a train or drive for twenty minutes and be surrounded by breath-taking countryside – as someone who grew up surrounded by fields and farms, this is a real comfort to me. I love spending Sundays taking a walk around somewhere new before refuelling with a beer and a roast in a country pub.
Leeds has changed so much in the last 8 years that it kind of feels like it has grown up with me. I fall in love with it more with every week that passes and it never fails to impress and surprise me. It’s my home now, and I hope that it always will be. As strange as it may sound, this city is truly one of the greatest loves of my life.
>>>> Thank you Sophie! You can find Sophia’s blog here and here are her instagram || twittter || pinterest
Do you love Leeds as much as Sophie does?
