I think a turning point for many avid
travellers comes when they realise that they no longer have only one place to call
'home'. If home is simply where you feel 'at home', that opens up a whole host
of options. If 'home is where the heart is' then friends and relationships
made along the way can add to the confusion. I guess most of us are lucky
enough to have one place where our roots lie... but when I have lived and
loved, earned and learned in a new place I often feel my relationship with the
setting itself evolving from a whirlwind affair into a long-term romance; no
matter where I move on to, those few special places will always tug away at the
old heart strings.
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| Via Etsy |
I grew up in a small rural city (more of a town really, but
we like to boast about our cathedral and the official city status that comes
with it) and even now after having been away for several years it is hard to go
anywhere without bumping into a familiar face. I have some family here, and
every Christmas the old college group make an effort to reunite in Wetherspoons
for a night of reminiscing and catching up. But even though I grew up here and
everything feels so utterly familiar, I can't help feeling like my mind is often
elsewhere. I was brought up in this city; I didn't conquer it.
In Bristol I found my independence and made life-long friends. On Reunion Island I connected with people whose lives were so
removed from my own. In Malaga I set out completely alone for the first time. In
Cologne I worked hard to tune into the life of the person I love, and
eventually found my own rhythm within it.
Perhaps the nomadic lifestyle of many travellers restricts
them from really making a 'home' in any new location. But then again the key
moments in your life always require a backdrop, and whether it be the people,
the language, the scenery of a place that stick in your mind there will
inevitably be a handful of places where returning feels like some kind of
homecoming. Otherwise people would not travel, they would simply go on holiday.
I'm not really one for hats so I'm going to forget Marvin
Gaye/Paul Young and opt for Grace Nichols instead -
"Wherever I hang me knickers, that's my home."
TG xx
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