Abandon places linger in the nooks of everyday society. Some are loud and demand to be noticed such as the abandoned pa turnpike, others are subtle like the abandoned house in your neighborhood. You probably pass by abandoned barns on the sides of the street, and the occasional ghost town. They're everywhere, whether you choose to notice them or not.

Abandoned places have a history all their own. They have seen life, destruction, and ghosts, Their walls have secrets buried deep within. These secrets are heard in the whispers of the wind lulling people to their charm. They have seen much more than we can comprehend. When you step into an abandoned place you become a part of it's an ongoing story.

When you step into an abandoned place you are transported to another world. A world where time is frozen and ghosts linger. Some places are a hollow shell of their former glory, others are richer in their death then they were in their prime. Often times there are relics left behind, debris from the aftermath of its decay. More common is the art tagged by fellow explorers begging to make their mark.

I've explored my fair share of abandoned places. I've been into an abandoned house in my neighborhood left to its lonesome self after a fire. I've seen a hand full of barns, hollow and creaking. I've even explored some of the tunnels of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. All of these places have a unique rich atmosphere that's so beautiful.

abandoned pa turnpikepersonal photo

There are many mysteries I've encountered while exploring. Many ghosts I've met.

I remember exploring my first abandoned place- the scorched house in my neighborhood. When I first arrived the house was ransacked and in chaos with objects strewn all about. It was living raw destruction which I found poetic. I visited that house many times. It changed after a while when I first started exploring it was a shell. Bare white walls, food rotting in the fridge- you could even still see some pictures of the family scattered on the floor.

The house lived frozen in the same state since it's tragedy. Yet it's tragedy turned. I soon found satanic symbols spray-painted on the wall. Those don't bother me too much, just a bunch of edgy kids trying to get a good laugh. Then came the belt and the needles, and I knew the place wasn't the same. The last straw was my very last visit there. I heard footsteps coming from the basement and I wasn't about to fuck with that. I noped out of there so fast.

One of the rules of exploring? Avoid trouble at all costs. If you don't know the person then you don't know what their intentions are so you need to get out fast. Be like the ghosts that linger in the place. Swift and unnoticed.

I never could return to the house again because my secret way in became inaccessible. Maybe it was for the best because that place belonged to more than just ghosts now.

As I reminiscence I sometimes still missed it. It became a beloved part of my youth teaching me to listen to its ghosts and love its imperfections.

Another chilling mystery occurred at the abandoned pa turnpike

deep inside the pa turnpikepersonal photo

While friends and I were exploring the tunnels of the abandoned pa turnpike we found something that sent a chill up our spines. At the mouth of one of the tunnels was covered with fresh blood. We don't know where the blood came from, who it belonged to, or the story is captured. It definitely was one of the greater mysteries I've encountered.

Through all my adventures, I've seen many beautiful sights of decay, rotting, and life after death. I've witnessed many wonderful works of art farther cultivating history. Accompanied by the art are many instances I've wondered "how the hell did they get up there?"

The biggest charm of abandoned places? The fact they've carried on a life of their own after death. The fact that sunlight filters through the rotting wood and shattered glass. That art is created from their chaos. That their destruction is apart of some people's creation. That imperfections of an outcast of our society are so damn gorgeous.

Abandoned places have a soul of their own, and this summer I encourage you to explore. I know which one I want to visit next- Centralia!