Thoughts from Places: Home

Home is: friends, family, and food. Home is hammocks, heat, and happiness; beer, bikinis, and books; sun, sand, and smiles. Above all, home is fluid.

My home is the one point that I have always come back to. Between the 7 countries I have lived in and 45 countries I have explored, home is the one place I will always return. The place with the memories from as early as I can remember, the place with my family always ready to welcome me back, the only place with pencil marks on an otherwise innocent white wall, marking my growth throughout my life. Some growth is easier to measure than others.

But, through all of this, my home is just as fluid as any of my travels. The house we have had for almost two decades has grown up with us: every time I return my parents have added something here, changed something there - much like the subtle differences in myself that develop between each return.
The friends I have had for my whole life have grown, changed, left, returned, developed and created.
And the country. My country has changed more in my lifetime than I have. It has gone from young and naive to grown and misguided, from safe to dangerous, from corrupt to criminal and back again. But like any growing adult, it has learned. It has flourished and impressed and improved as much as it has struggled. And we keep moving forward. 53 short years of independence cannot be expected to shape the perfect country, but we can - and we do! - continue to try.

My home has taught me more than any far off land ever could, has welcomed me back with more love and positivity than anywhere else in the world, and has shaped me into the person I am today.

For all the things you see and do... never forget the restorative powers of home.

Thoughts from Places: Maine

When in a foreign country it is important to embrace the local culture: do popular activities, eat the favourite foods, and live as the locals do. In each country I've visited I've made a point to try to find a welcoming host to show me how they live. A friend in Thailand, a local guide in Vietnam, an entire village in Cambodia... Back in the states I was fortunate enough to be taken in by the extended family of a very dear friend of mine. And it was the best American experience I could imagine. 

Lewiston, Maine may not seem like anything special. The city centre looks like most American towns (that I know of), the neighborhoods are cookie-cutter comfortable (in my opinion), and the people seem much the same as any other town in the Northeast (in my experience). But, for one action-packed weekend, Lewiston Maine became my best cultural experience in America. A summer cookout with Maine lobsters and tender steaks, followed by afternoon apple picking, a stunning hot air balloon town festival, and topped off baking fresh apple pies from scratch. As I stood like a fly on the wall watching the women in the kitchen and the men in the lounge, every single one with a smile on their faces, I could not help but think I was living the American Dream. 

That may not be everyone's American experience, but for that weekend it was mine. And I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

Even when you've returned, and the backpack is unpacked and you think you've regressed to reality, you can still find a welcome adventure in the most unexpected places. You never have to go far for your next great experience.