A home can have several meanings, depending on who you ask. “Home is where the heart is” implies that your true home is in the place or with the person you love most. Personally, I believe one can have many homes.
I partly travel to find more places to call home. Often I can sense at once whether I feel at home in a certain city. New York, Paris and London felt like home right away. Other cities grow on me as I get to know them. Sometimes they reveal sides of themselves that makes it clear that they’re not what I’m looking for at all. That’s when it’s time to move on.
In one way, my home is also within myself and the journey I travel.
Howard G. Franklin in ‘Excerpt from Truth’, the last chapter of An Irish Experience:
What is home anyway? Is it a place, a town or city or neighborhood where you were born, or grew up, or lived a long time? Geography that is fragrant with memory and desire, the place to which the compass always points, or you visit in nightly dreams, or always aim to return to, no matter how far the ship drifts off course?…Or is home simply a special spot inside the heart where it makes lakes of love? A safe harbor of unifying emotion, within which you are known, and accepted, and belong? Or even, maybe…is it both? I mean, part of each? Or could we have more than one?
Taylor Davidson on ‘What is the meaning of home?’ in Questions, Answered:
Home is where you are comfortable. In that sense, you may have many “homes”, impermanent and unstationary by time, place, people, context and expectations. Should there only be one “home”, that represents eternal comfort and belonging?
In my case, where I “grew up”, where I am living, where I consider myself from, where my family is, and even that special place, are all different and endlessly changing. I carry my home, my comfort, my grace deep inside, ready to spread it around any physical place that I may reside.
Feyza Yuksel, gr. 8, American School of Warsaw, on ‘Where is Your Home?’ in Skipping Stones Magazine:
Home is the place where everyone feels warm, comfortable, relaxed and secure! Even though sometimes people don’t really notice its value, home has indeed a very important role in everyone’s life. I strongly believe that every single person has felt the relief of coming home after a long tiring day. Yet everyone has different understanding, a different description of home, for home is not always necessarily where you live.
In the end scene of Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L Jackson) sit in a fast food joint eating breakfast. Part of the dialogue:
VINCENT
So you're serious, you're really
thinking about quitting?
JULES
The life?
VINCENT
Yeah.
JULES
Most definitely.
VINCENT
Fuck. What you're gonna do then?
JULES
Well, that's what I've been sitting here
contemplating. First, I'm gonna
deliver this case to Marsellus.
Then, basically, I'm just gonna walk the
earth.
VINCENT
What do you mean, walk the earth?
JULES
You know, like Caine in "KUNG FU."
Walk from place to place, meet
people, get in adventures.
VINCENT
And how long do you intend to walk the
earth?
JULES
Until God puts me where he want me
to be.
VINCENT
And what if he don't do that?
JULES
If it takes forever, then I'll walk
forever.
VINCENT
So you decided to be a bum?
JULES
I'll just be Jules, Vincent -- no
more, no less.
One possible interpretation: when Jules talks about walking the earth, he secretly wishes he will eventually find a place to call home – his real home, where he’s meant to live. Or, he is merely content with traveling from place to place and might come to see the journey as his home.
On the whole, I believe home is where you feel most comfortable. Where is your home?
Possibly related posts:
The idea of home was running through my mind today, amazing timing, even the reminder of my previous thoughts.
I personally share that conflict between our secret wishes and daily desires: which one is real? Lately I’ve been thinking that both are real.
Carrying one’s home within oneself is very, very tough and takes a special, strong personal spirit.
I needed this today, thank you.
Taylor Davidson’s last blog post..Without, Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, Sacramento, California
Your post immediately turned to an essay my grandmother wrote about 30 years ago. It give you yet another perspective of What and where home is. Time plays an important role too.
You have inspired me to write a blog post.
Where is your home
Silvia Tolisano’s last blog post..Where is your Home?
Hi Taylor,
What a coincidence
“Carrying one’s home within oneself”, that can be tough. But I think the hardest thing to do and the right thing to do are often the same.
Hi Silvia,
Thanks for the link. It’s interesting to see how the meaning of home changes over the years.
this pic and quote is from the Guinness brewery in Dublin and I think it beautifully describes where home is: http://funyimahelen.dotphoto.com/CPViewAlbum.asp?AID=3070508&IID=101201206&Page=1
Helen’s last blog post..World on Fire
That one’s easy. Wherever I am with my wife.
@Helen, It really does. “Home is not where you live but where they understand you.” It’s spot on. Thanks for sharing.
@Jack, “Home is where the heart is” completely makes sense.
For me it’s got to be Ankara, Turkey – I feel most at home there.
But home is where the family is for me, which is nice…it means I’ve got family all over the world!
Anil’s last blog post..Axis Of Evil Tour Guide
@Anil, Turkey seems like a great city. Had a friend who traveled there a few years ago, she didn’t want to leave.
Family all over the world? You’re lucky!
I am lucky, and now I’ve expanded my family to include Sweden as well!
Anil’s last blog post..Axis Of Evil Tour Guide