We spent another day in Copenhagen on hire bikes (this time they were electric – pretty sure this is cheating, but it was our only option!) We casually pedalled around, taking in more of the sights such as The Little Mermaid (and she is only little), Christiansborg Palace, Paper Island (street food heaven) and Freetown Christiania.

Everywhere we went we saw beautiful doors, some small, some grand, some battered and worn, and others shiny and new. I have a little love of taking photos of different doors, capturing the character of each one. I wonder who has walked through them… who do they protect… what beautiful interiors lay beyond them? Perhaps I am inspired by Ciaran – my incredibly talented sister-in-love – who is a professional photographer with a beautiful series of doors from other European cities. It isn’t rare at all for us to have similar loves.

After a while exploring, we pulled up our bikes for a short lunch break by the creek overlooking lush green lawns outside the Anglican Church. I was taken by the number of people walking boldly up to the doors and trying to open them. I know many churches around the world are open for tourists to visit and take in the grand, ornate detail and history. Or of course for people seeking spiritual counsel. But the doors of this church were currently and very obviously closed. Admittedly there wasn’t a huge padlock, chains or even a closed sign – but they were clearly shut. I’m not sure why it bothered me so much watching person after person walking up, yanking the handles and trying to open them… ‘leave it alone, it’s shut – can’t you see?!’

Some doors, however, need to be tried. Stepping out on this entrepreneurial adventure has meant going through many new doors… and closing some behind me. Each opportunity or step is like a new door, where you don’t know exactly what’s on the other side until you step through it. You can of course imagine what it will be like, although it may not end up at all like what you had dreamed.

Sometimes, these doors are wide open and we can be presented with many to choose from at once, which makes decision-making difficult – which one do I choose? Is one option better than the other? Is it safer to stay where I am? Can I go back out and try another one if this one doesn’t work out, or will the opportunity have been missed and will the door now be closed?

At other times, the doors of opportunity don’t seem to present themselves. Often, we go through life waiting and expecting them to just appear in front us rather than seeking them out. And when they do appear, we assume they will readily open. If they do, surely that means they are the right one to walk through, right?

But what if we seek out the doors of opportunity/change/adventure? Go after the ideas and dreams of our lives, search for those doors and even if they look closed, walk boldly up to them and knock, try the handle, see if it will open? For if we don’t try, we’ll never know.

In the past, I have often hesitated, sticking with what’s comfortable and what I know – and that has meant missing out on things. I think that’s why it bothered me so much watching people trying to open the doors of the church, because before now I wouldn’t have done that (and maybe even now in this particular case!), I would just see a closed door and assume I don’t have the ability to open it, or it’s not the right one. But I’ve decided to be bold, seek out, and walk through this particular door… which now takes me from Denmark to Italy. So, let’s see what lays beyond it…

Just a few quick snaps of Copenhagen doors…

The first few doors of Tivoli, Italy…