GratiTuesday: Coming Home

I love to travel, and we’ve been doing quite a bit of it this year. We have just arrived home from our latest adventure and, I must admit, I am relieved. No matter how much fun we have, interesting places we explore, or new experiences we have, walking in our front door after a long trip feels like… well… coming home.

Even mundane tasks like doing laundry, running errands, and planning and preparing meals make me happy. Having all our familiar things just where we want them is comforting. Sleeping in our own beds – with our own pillows – is heaven. Pretty soon all of that will become more routine, but right now I’m enjoying the newness of our everyday lives.

As I finish unpacking and sorting through my photos, I know that I’ll grow nostalgic for our travels. I may even start to plan our next adventure. But, right now, I’m so grateful to be back in my home.

Author: Janis @ RetirementallyChallenged.com

My blog is about travel, relationships, photography, and whatever else pops into my head (even, sometimes, issues surrounding retirement and aging).

61 thoughts on “GratiTuesday: Coming Home”

  4. There truly is ‘no place like home’! But I do look forward to reading about your adventures soon!

  9. “Home sweet home!” 🙂 We felt it a little bit when we returned to Sebastopol, into a familiar house with sweet Lola. But, next week, we leave again. It is a feeling I can imagine is very comforting and comfortable, but which we only somewhat have when we return to our parents’ homes.

    1. That’s the truth! I’ll miss not having to think much about meal prep. But, I really did eat too much while we were gone so I’ll have to pay a bit more attention to what I consume for a few weeks (darn!).

  11. It is lovely to feel grateful. Gratitude and happiness seem to go hand in hand.

    It is interesting for me to read this because for 2 years we had no real
    “home” as we traveled slowly through South Asia with no agenda for the most part and no constraints. I have never felt so happy in my whole life. Not a worry in the world. No chores, no bills, no list of things to do, just the next country to explore. The only decision is how to spend the day. Very in the moment. We tried to make each place we stopped and stayed in, our “home”… but of course that part cannot be replicated by ones own bed and environment which gives such comfort.

    These days we do have a home base and I am loving this comfy feeling to come home to.

    Peta

  12. It’s a great feeling to be back home after time away. Maybe the expression is true – absence makes the heart grow fonder 🙂

    I agree with Kate though – a large part of it is seeing my cat Theo again. I do miss that chubby furball most of all.

  13. I’m a homebody and loathe traveling so I’m living vicariously through your blog and others. Thank you for sharing your adventures. But, welcome home!

  14. I love my travel adventures & have often thought of what it would be like to just continue exploring. As much as I think this would be wonderful, when I have been away for awhile, I do have the desire to return home, connect with loved ones & enjoy my familiar surroundings.

  15. I think your comment “A little bit of travel and a lot of home” sums it up for me. One of the things I love about our second home in Florida is that – it’s also got a “home” feeling. I duplicated the pillows from our Ohio house even! So arriving there is also a feeling of being home. And I’m working on making our new “right-sized” house here in Ohio have the same feeling. Which I totally understand. Welcome home to you and looking forward to hearing about your latest adventure.

    1. I really like the idea of having a second home. Where we live, though, there isn’t any really bad weather to escape. Maybe in another country…

      I love that you’ve created an instant feeling of being “home” in both places.

  18. Yes, it’s great to get away. But it’s also great to be home. No more strange food ( no matter how good), no more being on your best behavior, no more living out of a suitcase!

    Can’t wait to read about your most recent adventure.

  19. I’m a travel writer and get to visit the most exciting places but home is where the heart is, and my dogs of course!

      1. It’s like working in really nice offices because I am not relaxed like when I’m on holiday, but worth it.

  21. I know exactly what you mean! No matter who much I enjoyed a particular trip (and even more so if I didn’t), coming home to my own house and going to sleep in my own bed is just a wonderful feeling!

  22. I worked at a travel agency through high school and university. I remember that we always told our clients that the best trips were the ones where you left your destination a couple of days before you were ready to and arrived home feeling sated, safe and happy. It sounds like you make good trips, Janis.

  23. Welcome home Janis! I know the feeling. Thom and I have a saying, “Love to go and love to come home!” Isn’t it nice to have a home that we appreciate coming home to as well as the ability to travel a lot? ~Kathy

  24. I’m a homebody by nature, so in some ways after our travels the best thing about them is getting back home again. I look forward to reading about where you went this time, but until you’re ready to talk about it, enjoy where you are. 🙂

    1. I think that my true nature is homebodism (I’m sure that’s a word), but I also like to explore new places – and revisit those that I love. Right now, I’m just enjoying my familiar surroundings (and not living out of a suitcase).

  25. I’ve been busy with lots of transition lately as well, and I can sympathize with your desire to settle into familiar surroundings and activities again. Welcome home!

  27. I can certainly attest that traveling is exhausting! One of the great things about traveling the world on a sailboat is that wherever you go you are home…which lessons the exhaustion immensely. Our land travels are going really well right now, but I am missing my bunk on Amandla.

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