Our good friend & Be-Mag alumni Freddy White has just released an unbelievable new profile that was shot in the historic city of Athens, Greece. Freddy has been living the life of a nomad for many years but he recently settled down late last year & his good friend Kaspars Alksnis paid him a visit & the pair set out to capture the beautiful neighborhood surroundings of the infamous Blade House. Freddy had this to say about the filming process behind “Vicinity” & how it all came to be.
It’s no secret that being constantly on the road can take its toll on one’s body and mind. So after five years of deliberate nomadism, it was only natural I would eventually feel the need to settle down for a while. Just a little over a year ago, my dear friend Nick Kouros and the whole Syeahskate family welcomed me to Athens, and I finally unpacked my bag at the infamous Blade House.
Now, you would think that type of thing comes easy, but in truth, when you’ve spent so much time bouncing around from place to place, simply being in one place, all the time, actually takes some getting used to. Exploring your surroundings, building a daily routine, developing new habits and friendships… It’s all a process, an interesting path to self-discovery, and an exercise in mindfulness, too. And it was exactly what I needed at this point in life.
When Kaspars came to visit me earlier this year and gave me the push to bring the old VX1000 back to life, we figured filming a small part together would be the perfect way to encapsulate this process and celebrate my newfound home. While it wasn’t exactly easy, coming straight off the winter break with a squeaky knee and rusty joints, Kaspars worked his magic and I believe we achieved what we set out to do originally.
The idea was to hit local spots only, all within a radius of about one mile (besides one or two possible exceptions) that we could either walk or skate to. Some are usual locations, and others you wouldn’t necessarily look at unless they’re part of your daily life: that rail on the way to the bakery, the church gap at the corner of the street, or the plaza where we usually have our coffee breaks.
In short, this part is our invitation to take a closer look at your immediate surroundings and enjoy the shared life of your hood, whether it be having a chat with your neighbor, while on your way to the farmers’ market, petting the stray cats next block, or simply chilling at the square down the street after a feast at the local taverna. This is my homecoming part after all these years on the road, if you like: a humble homage to my vicinity.
