This weekend I was hired to shoot the Little League World Series in Laurel, Mississippi. I had a small break Sunday morning so I decided to go see the city for a bit. I found myself in the downtown area somewhat bored. I get that it's small town America and I should be happy, but I wanted more... Parking Lot Mural Welcome to Suburbia

I figured I would just start driving. I seem to have good luck just stumbling through New Orleans, so why not Laurel? Let me preface by saying I never advocate going into abandoned places by yourself. There really is safety in numbers, but I am not the brightest crayon in the box. I told myself if I came across any cool abandoned structures, that I would investigate. Of course, maybe 2 minutes after my self pact, I see a beautifully forgotten school.

The ways into abandoned buildings are usually haphazardly covered up. I've been lucky in my prior endeavors, usually finding my entrance within the first few minutes. I headed around to the back of the building. There was some tagging and that's usually a great sign that there will be an opening somewhere near.

After a minute, I figured it out. There was a huge piece of plyboard covering the bottom row of windows. I slid that bad boy over and voila there's a thoughtfully bashed window with an opening big enough for my husky build.

Now I was in....Fuck. The realization set in that I was alone and it honestly started freaking me out. I've done this with other people, but alone? I decided to check my immediate perimeter. The giveaways were all there; a makeshift bed in the next room, newish looking food containers, and a styrofoam cup which couldn't be over a week old. I then realized this was going to be a brief visit. I began snapping away...

   I enjoyed my brief visit to this school. What I really enjoyed was that there were no other visitors. I mean...a freaking crib? This urban exploration really gets your blood going. I enjoy the rush that it brings, but I probably won't be enjoying that rush alone anytime in the near future....