They say the world we live in today is far too uncertain.

The troubles we see right in front of us,

terrorism and all sorts of incidents,

economic crises,

global-scale problems,

and even personal struggles like identity crises and depression.

There's so much to worry about,

and looking away doesn't make any of it go away.

Like the saying goes, if you can't avoid it, enjoy it.

If we can't escape the stress that this anxiety brings,

then finding a way to release it matters.

There are many ways to do that.

Depending on what you're into,

it could be eating something delicious,

watching a movie,

or meditating.

It could be anything, really. What about you?

I like taking walks. Parks are nice, streets are nice too. Daytime works, as long as it's not too hot, and so does night.

The one thing that never works is a place so crowded it puts you on edge.

Looking around, taking it slow, wandering at an unhurried pace,

I find little everyday pleasures I would have rushed right past otherwise.

It reminds me all over again that life is just a string of ordinary days.

Kim Jiwon's London Design Walk captures exactly that pleasure of walking.

Umbrellas, double-decker buses, books, teacups, murals, museums, even the street vendors.

Her eye for the everyday life and culture of London is genuinely engaging,

and her knack for describing a faraway, foreign place as if it were her own neighborhood

made me feel like I was actually out on a walk, exactly as the title promises, without ever leaving my seat.

Looking at the many shapes of life tucked into each object she writes about,

I found myself carefully reconsidering what design actually is.

NOURISH.

Maybe,

just maybe, the message from typographer Anna Gapos featured in the book holds a clue to that.

London Design Walk