Why Returning Home is an Important Part of a Travel Adventure?

home həʊm noun :

1. the place where one lives permanently,
    especially as a member of a family or household.
2. A family living together in one building, house, etc.

This is the result Google threw up when I typed in the words 'home definition' and yet what is most fascinating is how the word home has a different meaning for many of us today. Especially for all those of us who love to travel or spend a considerable amount of time travelling in the wilderness outside.

The context of our definitions has changed, so have the norms traditionally accepted in the society and the dictionary. Today, home can mean a lot of different things to different people… for some it is a state of mind, for some it could be the place where they can relax, escape or just be who they are, it's where they find comfort after a weary tired day in the world outside or for some others the idea of home could be as wide as the whole world.

Have a look at this latest video released by Asian paints which expresses how and why there is #NoPlaceLikeHome:



So, what does 'home' mean to us - to you and me?
How would we describe what it feels like to feel at home?

For me, home is a sacred feeling I cherish in my heart. It’s a warm cocoon ballooned with memories, fuzziness, joy, peace and laughter created when kindred souls meet at a specific moment in time – touching one another in such inexplicably unanticipated ways on their respective isolated islands that it makes them and everyone around them feel alive, valued, loved and dear. That feeling makes me feel at home. In this case, the geography or the location does not matter nor does it necessarily have to come into the picture.

Home is where the heart is.
That feeling when you are among the people you love and the people who love you back!

Having said that, I cannot stress enough on the importance of returning to my "earthly abode" after that all consuming travel adventure (that I never really wanted to end!) – Something that cannot be denied or ignored neither should it ever be. And that is what this post will be talking about. Returning home after travelling to a faraway place opens up yet another vista, another landscape, this time more personal, more familiar and more recognisable, and yet abounding in growth, adventure and possibility in our everyday lives albeit in a different way.

Beauty in the wilderness.
Get lost in the wild;
but don't forget to find yourself at home.

I am sure we have all heard the saying which goes like this – A man travels the world in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.

I totally second the thoughts here. Being on the road teaches us (in a fun and exciting way) many life lessons that we may never otherwise learn back home but it's not until we step back into the chartered backyards of our own home that we really begin to become something more than what we already were before embarking on the journey on the road outside.

Home helps me appreciate the things missed and express gratitude for all that I have.

Life for me is one big adventure where each moment, every day holds innumerable surprises for us to throw our self into. In that sense, if I have the opportunity to travel today, it forms just one leg of my exploratory journey of life.

One of the biggest lessons I have learnt through my yatras over the years is appreciation. To see the world in all its glorious splendour and revel in its beauty, as it is not as you think it should be, is a thing, a feeling of pure joy. And so it is for when I come back and embrace the familiar warmth of the lovely people at home and fuzziness of the favourite things I missed while my time on the road.

View from my balcony I can never tire watching.
Sitting by the balcony and staring into the infinite is one of my favourite things to do at home.

The times I spend with my family – the wonderful people who continuously shape me into whoever I am; and for which I feel eternally grateful in life – aren’t they an integral part of my travel adventure?

Home is the place where souvenirs reside.

My home is also the place where my souvenirs reside... souvenirs or keepsakes collected in my travel journeys are not mere objects to remind of that fabulous place I once visited but are priceless keepsakes to incite treasured travel memories that are deeply personal to me.

My souvenir of a hand made origami bird - Japan
Souvenirs are priceless treasures to be cherished in the heart.

These souvenirs – each holding a tale of its own - double up as sacred reminders of precious moments of kindness, smiles, love and warmth collected through people I connected with to be cherished dearly in my heart. But it’s not until that I share these souvenirs, each tale ringing bells of joy within my heart, with my own family, the people that are closest to me that my journey feels complete.

Home is where I get my perspective!

The trajectory of our sojourns might be laid out differently but I am sure there are lessons laid out there for each one of us more often amid the situations closer home – how often do we forget to appreciate the things / qualities about people that are closest to us? Reasons could be many but this is one beautiful realisation that travel brings along with itself. The many experiences that we have in our travel journey puts a lot of things in perspective back home, most importantly our own mindset, so that now we have a new pair of eyes that helps us see our surroundings in a new light: for me that means to be more aware and to appreciate all the things I might have missed seeing before and a new heart that helps me to say ‘Thank you’ for all that I have.

My blogger desk at home.
Blogging at home puts a lot of things learnt on the road - in perspective.

Travel, on the road as in life, has to always take us closer home, towards our most innate core, our own self, towards that sacred love, never away from it. The transformation that the journey brings along has to be intense, even overwhelming so that you don’t feel like the same person you were like before. It is a renewed sense of awareness of your own being and the world that you see, often different than what you thought you would normally be. And then you are in a perfect position to appreciate all that is around you. Like that simple plate of rice, roti and dal cooked by my mom and served in good time along with this motherly nudge: Arti I don’t think you have had an opportunity to look at yourself in the mirror lately. Let me tell you, you’re growing thinner by the day, and you desperately need to eat more healthy stuff.

Confession be made, I secretly smirk when she says that. But at the same time, I understand she cares and it’s feelings like these I cherish that keep bringing me back home and make me realise that there truly is no place like home..

What about you?
What are the things that keep bringing you home?
Share your thoughts, would love to hear them!

Post a Comment

24 Comments

  1. There is indeed no such place on earth like home.For me the definition of home is where my parents reside! I'm living away from my earthly abode for work since 5 years and there is not a day that goes by when I don't think about all the wonderful memories. I miss the soft touch of my mother's hand over my head, food made by her and a lot of other things.

    Ahh! This really made me feel nostalgic!

    I know my experience is not really the one related to how it feels like to be returning home from travel trips but the connection here is very much the same.

    Thanks for writing this beautiful post,Arti!More power to you! :)

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  2. Your thoughts in this post have me thinking, Arti. My physical home - where I live - is like a safe cocoon for me. It's familiarity allows me to relax and think. Home prepares me for venturing out to unfamiliar places. The adventure of travel is more welcome because I know that there is a nest to which I'll eventually return. My home at present and my childhood home are a part of the fabric of my being. Now Arti, I want you to listen on your Mom! Eat and be strong and healthy for your next travel adventure!

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  3. Im feel im home when im on road :), sometime the feel being wonderlust is there is no permanent place you can name it "home"

    i hope someday i can stop by at your home and drink a hot chai, finger cross arti

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  4. Hi Arti,

    Great post and I always love going away for a holiday but love to go back home too, being back in my own bed, etc.
    Wishing you a great weekend
    hugs
    Carolyn

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  5. Great post...
    https://outfitsandmakeupblog.wordpress.com/2016/10/21/long-haul-travel-essentials/

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  6. Very beautiful and heartfelt thoughts, Arti! True that we feel the gratitude for everything we have in home after traveling, especially when we miss those little precious things that we can have in our home only.

    My home has memories of my Grandmother and her everyday spiritual activities. So it's very very sacred for me.

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  7. There is no place like home. How true is that ? Lovely post dear.

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  8. For me, home is where I get to eat my favorite food (especially parathas) after being on the road for a while. With the kind of food that hotels serve, prominently being continental breakfast, I look forward to coming back.

    You've encompassed the feelings of coming home holistically, mine is only one aspect here.

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  9. When I travel after a week or so I hallucinate about the comfort of my rug and bed and miss my shower...so yes it is so important to come back home :)

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  10. "Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,
    Be it ever so humble there is no place like home."


    Even though I feel at home at so many places I travel to, the feeling of snuggling in your bed after weeks is priceless.
    You are so right when you say travel makes you value home and fills you with gratitude.
    Your writing is just like a river. Flowing mellifluously, rhythmic and calming:) loved this piece Arti. What you have written about homecoming is so heartfelt .

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  11. Wonderful post and something I can relate to. Going back home is always pleasant no matter how much you enjoy your vacation!

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  12. Very nicely written, home sweet home...

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  13. I travel and now I am away from home, trying to build a new home for atleast a couple of years, but being at home is a feeling that you just can recreate ever. Such a heartfelt post :)

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  14. As I write after every travel of mine -- home is where the dog is. I miss mine immensely and really look forward to heading home to be with him. Of course, home is comfort; home is joy. Home is truly where the heart is.

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  15. For me, home is my haven, a place I want to come back to irrespective of the joys travel might bring. It is a place where I have made memories with my family, where I have read books, written notes, cried, laughed, danced, realized my own shortcomings as I contemplated in solitude.....Your post made me love my home even more....:)

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  16. Such a beautiful post, Arti. Loved reading it.
    That feeling when I am back home after travelling for days is the sweetest feeling ever. The long heart to heart conversations on the terrace, the home cooked food and my desk where I weave tales and verses...can't get that anywhere else in the world :)

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  17. That is so right: we realise that there truly is no place like home.
    Some lovely pictures there, especially the second one with the trees.

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  18. For me, home is a place where I can do whatever I like. It's a place where I find my peace of mind in the smiles of my loved ones. It's a place where bricks are cemented with love.

    Wonderful post, dear Arti... :-)

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  19. Home is where the heart is and all your readers will simply nod in absolute agreement with this lovely insightful post.

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  20. Home is where you are at peace. Nice post

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  21. A beautiful post Arti! You nailed it, ghar jaisa koi nahi! After all the worldly travels, one is happiest to be back in the midst of familiar surroundings and comfort of home!

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