A Tourist in My Hometown

Written by: Kory Campbell, Top of Virginia Regional Chamber

When my wife and I got married, we honeymooned at the George Washington Hotel. We had never stayed there before having both grown up in the Winchester area. We had a wonderful breakfast and soon hit Old Town for a morning stroll and to see what the local shops had to offer. Being a bit of a photography enthusiast, I had a camera strapped to my neck as we walked down the mall and back.

The walk had come to an end and we stood in front of, at the time, the Winchester Book Gallery. We contemplated which way to go. As we chatted, we heard a voice speak to us. “Are you touring Winchester?” the gentleman asked. We were caught off-guard by the question but soon

A 2013 image highlighted the miraculous workmanship and art that surrounds us in our daily lives in this region. realized that the dangling camera had prompted the question. “No sir,” we answered. “We actually live around here.” We all had a good chuckle at the conversation and as the gentleman walked away, I asked, “If we were, where do you suggest we go?” He responded, “the Handley Library is beautiful and you will enjoy taking pictures there.”

The library had been recently remodeled and while we had not visited since the rennovation, we had been there many times before. The library was beautiful and I took many pictures. What we discovered was touring our own hometown. Our perception had shifted from living everyday life in this area to seeing more intricate details of the beauty surrounding us, right here.