Homecoming

Posted byRebecca BuddPosted inLadyBudd, Spring, Sunday Evening ReflectionTags:, , , ,

We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.

T. S. Eliot, Four Quartets: A Poem

Belonging is a fundamental human need. It is the feeling of being accepted, valued and supported by a group of people. We seek belonging because it provides us with a sense of security and identity. When we belong, we feel like we are part of something bigger than ourselves.

Finding a home is a natural extension of seeking belonging. A home is a place where we feel safe and comfortable. It is where we can be ourselves without fear of judgment. Having a home gives us a sense of stability and permanence. It is a place where we can create memories and build a life.

These were my thoughts upon returning from our recent travels.

We travel to explore and seek adventures, to fulfill a desire to learn and experience new perspectives. But there is a time to return home, buoyed with fresh knowledge that we are involved in a greater journey.

Life gives us many homecomings where we can reconnect with friends and relive cherished memories in a place where journeys meet.

Published by Rebecca Budd

Blogger, Visual Storyteller, Podcaster, Traveler and Life-long Learner

42 thoughts on “Homecoming”

  1. YES!! This resonates with me. I love to travel and explore. I adore finding new places, talking to people, hearing new languages, trying new words, and communicating with them in their language, and trying new foods, but after a few weeks I’m so ready to get home to my base, my bed, my stuff, and just be. Let my hair down, be with family and friends, and chill…no maps, no struggling with language…we Americans need to start learning other languages in Kindergarten or pre-school. Not middle school!!! By then our brains stop soaking it up and it is so much harder!! We could learn 3-5 languages if we started sooner! Why aren’t we? Sorry, it’s a bete noir of mine. I wish I started learning other languages when I was a girl in single digits!

    I love to explore…I think I was born to explore, but coming home is comfort, security, awesome. I think we all need that base. That place where we can let our hair down, and just chill and BE.

    Liked by 5 people

    1. I LOVE your comments, Deborah – spot on!! – “ready to get home to my base, my bed, my stuff, and just be….” I am with you on the language idea. Several years ago I took Italian lessons in a classroom situation and now I’m learning French, via Duolingo, an app that offers lessons. My sister, Sarah, encouraged me to learn with her so that we can have conversations together. I’ll keep you updated on my progress.

      Thank you for adding depth and breadth to this conversation – very much appreciated. Hugs.

      Liked by 6 people

      2. How cool! I’ve been studying and practicing French for decades. I’m still not fluent and doubt I ever will be, but it’s fun and challenging which keeps my brain moving so to speak!

        Bonne journeé, mon amie!

        Liked by 3 people

  3. Much as I love my home, I’m never good at returning after time away. I want the adventure to continue. Those geese, that pond are very similar to scenes from our own village. The world can be quite a small place.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. I know exactly what you feel, Margaret. Adventures provide a heightened feeling of being alive and engaged within a wider narrative. I agree – the world can be quite a small place. Sending hugs!

      Liked by 2 people

  4. Oh yes, dear Rebecca. We need that, for sure, a place where we feel we belong. However, there are people who do not have such a privilege; I had to think of young Iranian women and men fighting for this homeland, a home where they feel safe and sound. It is nice to have you back.

    Liked by 5 people

    1. I share your sadness, Alaedin. Having a home is considered a basic human right. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes the right to adequate housing as a fundamental human right. Access to housing is essential for individuals to lead a dignified life, as it provides security, privacy, and stability. Homelessness and inadequate housing can lead to a range of negative consequences, including poor health outcomes, social exclusion, and limited access to education and employment opportunities. Having a home is not just a matter of comfort or convenience, but a fundamental aspect of human dignity and well-being.

      Homecoming is a dear gift that must never be taken for granted. Thank you for your profound comments – very much appreciated.

      Liked by 3 people

    1. It is lovely to be seen, Shey! It is good to be home.

      Coming home after travelling is like coming back to a familiar place where everything is in its right place, to where we belong. And yet, we come back changed by our travels, by those we met, by the stories we hear, and the history that we remember. Sending hugs.

      Liked by 3 people

    1. Yes!!!! I agree – home is where the heart is. The place where we feel safe, comfortable and secure. It is where we retreat to after a long day and where we wake up to start a new one. Many thanks for joining me on the Vancouver Seawall to meet up with my winged friends, Ashley.

      Liked by 2 people

    1. We left Vancouver in rain and came back in sunshine. This is the first international trip that we have taken since Covid. The world is opening up, but there is a greater respect for following health protocols. It is good to be home and carry wonderful memories of people we met, places we saw and history that we remembered. Thank you, Robbie, for joining me on the Vancouver Seawall. Looking forward to catching up on your posts. Hugs!

      Liked by 2 people

  9. All so true! What a lovely, relaxing video. Having just finished reading “Anne of Green Gables” per your and Dave Astor’s recommendations, your words have special meaning. 🙂

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Oh, I am delighted that you read “Anne of Green Gables” Mary Jo. I am excited that I found a book by L.M. Montgomery that I have never heard of before. I will be reading and trying to record (this is my hope for the coming year) “The Blue Castle.” This is the blurb – “Twenty-nine-year-old Valancy Stirling is unmarried and still lives at home with her mother. Her day-to-day life seems dull compared to her favourite books by John Foster and her fantasies of the “Blue Castle.” When she receives a devastating diagnosis and is only given one year to live, Valancy escapes from her family to make the most of the time she has left.

      It seems that this story may reflect LMM’s personal dreams.

      Liked by 3 people

      4. That does sound intriguing! I’m into the second in the “Anne” series and plan to read the others as well. Marilla Cuthbert is a hoot, and nature is rightfully a character too. 🙂 I wish I’d heard of these stories when a child, as they would have been so comforting. Hugs+++

        Liked by 3 people

      6. It’s really beautiful how, despite her own unhappy childhood, she was able to create joy for generations of readers.

        Liked by 2 people

  11. Such a lovely post! It fosters a deep sense of serenity. As the saying goes, “There is no place like home.” But, if we were not to venture out into the world, we could never understand that. It is wonderful to travel and see new places…it literally does ‘open up the world’ for us. It illuminates our understanding of so many things. If we hold a glass marble up to the light, it looks different than if we just keep it in our pocket, and look at it from time to time. It is the light that makes the difference and our ability to see clearly what is right in front of us.

    Liked by 5 people

    1. Linda – you have a marvelous eloquence and meditative quality to your writing. Always a joy to read your comments. I agree – travel offers personal growth opportunities. We are pushed out of our comfort zones and challenged to adapt to new situations. Travel is much more than “visiting” – it is becoming immersed in a greater exploration of the human spirit. It is good to be back home, but I have brought new perspectives with me. Have a wonderful day – thank you for making mine extra special.

      Liked by 3 people

    1. Thank you for stopping by, Dave and for your comments which are always encouraging. More than ever, we need to be at “home” with who we are and where we live and travel. It is so easy to move quickly through our days without recognizing the grandness of our moments. Matsuo Basho says it so well with “The journey itself is my home.” After every travel adventure, I meet up with my winged friends on the Vancouver Seawall. They always give me a warm welcome home.

      Liked by 2 people

  13. How beautiful, Rebecca, in thought and imagery. I love traveling, but I don’t think I could travel all the time. There’s something wonderful about coming home. Eliot’s quote is a wonderful capture of what’s to come. Welcome home!

    Liked by 4 people

  15. Welcome home, Rebecca!
    I just know you’l be sharing, and I look forward.

    Upon returning to Toronto from a travel;
    I’ve always been encased in happiness and comfort when the limo/taxi pulls up to my front door.

    It’s like eating a pie backwards, in the sense of rewinding some video.
    The circular pie plate is empty.
    As I explore where I travel, I get a piece of pie and put it in the pie plate.
    The more I explore, the more pieces of pie I get.
    I put them in the pie plate.
    There is only 1 slice left to complete the pie.
    I receive that piece, as I walk through my front door.
    The pie is whole.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Resa – “the eating pie backwards” is a brilliant symbol, one that has had me thinking. I had goosebumps when I read “The pie is whole.” It is good to travel and it is good to return home. I am looking forward to creating photo posts. Thank you for you continued support and encouragement. Sending hugs.

      Liked by 2 people

  16. To be part of a group or the feeling of belonging to it, seems to become more and more important to me. The variety of languages in a group doesn’t change anything, on the contrary, unless we have the same interests! Je souhaite à vous deux,Rebecca e votre sœur,des heures pleins de joie🌻🌻

    Liked by 3 people

    1. I share your thought, Martina – the feeling of belonging becomes more important as I age. I believe it is because experience has heightened my understanding of how important connection and belonging are to my well-being. Thank you for adding to this conversation – very much appreciated. Hugs and more hugs!

      Liked by 2 people

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