Life By Kristen

Travel and Home

A few bloggers who I follow have written on the topic of travel on more than a few occasions, in particular the idea that the more you travel, the more wanderlust you have. I definitely see that as being true- my trip to Amsterdam was almost 2 months ago (!) and I’m already thinking about what adventure I want to go on next.

But my trip to Amsterdam made me realize two other things about myself and my ‘relationship’ with travel– 1. How much I have yet to discover in my own home state, region, country and 2. How much I have come to love the sense of belonging and peace that home brings.

Traveling through the museums and historic sites of Amsterdam, taking in the architecture, and enjoying quiet afternoons in the city were wonderful, but it also made me think about how many places within a short driving distance from my homebase that I haven’t seen. With the exception of a few museums visits and a Halloween stop in Salem, MA, I haven’t seen much of the North Shore of Massachusetts. I’ve been to Martha’s Vineyard and Block Island only once, yet they are a close ( and somewhat inexpensive) ferry ride away. I looked at a map of the United States the other day and realized I’ve seen a great deal of it with the exception of the Northwest and a good chunk of the middle. There is so much of the world I want to see and so much traveling I have yet to do, but I definitely want to focus a lot on seeing a bit of home more too.

The other thing traveling really has made me think about is how my relationship with my home has changed so much over the years. I loved my vacation and time with my mother, but I longed for my bed after a week in the hotel. I don’t know if we had rented a place via AirBnB if that feeling would have been different, but I doubt it. It wasn’t just my own space and bed that I missed, but more that unique calm feeling that comes with relaxing in a space that is uniquely me. I have often said that it takes a special grace and peacefulness with yourself to enjoy a quiet night at home reading and relaxing without a lot of distractions, and my traveling definitely confirmed that for me. Traveling sort of made me realize it’s about that balance- of wanting to learn and experience new places, meet new people, but at the same time, it’s about appreciating and seeing the value in what you already have.