It’s always sad to leave things behind – family, friends, possessions, hobbies, jobs, pets, whatever. I’d be lying if I said it’s easy to walk away from all of those things and that eventually you’ll get used to it. You probably won’t.

Going Home

I grew up very close to my Mom and we have always made travel a priority, so telling her I’m moving thousands of miles away is usually not that much of a surprise, although being the only child (and a girl) doesn’t help her not to worry. I also have friends that I miss dearly on a daily basis, but I have learned that relationships are always a two way road and it doesn’t matter if you live right down the street or a twelve hour flight away, you have to work to keep the things that matter. I had a nice conversation with a friend who said that there are two ways to think about your life… do you build a life around family members and friends that you make over the years and enjoy familiar things that you know make you happy or do you live like it’s only you and the world and try to experience as many new things as possible? Nothing’s wrong with either one, but it’s a conscious decision you have to make. Are you okay with leaving everything you know, even if that means you might not like things as much somewhere else?

Plus, if you’re really in love with traveling, you’ll become an expert at holding onto memories instead of things, which is why coming home every once in a while is so nice. It’s a chance to revisit all of those things and people you love, reevaluate what you’ve learned and take a break to consider what you want out of your next trip or move. Also, if you’re from Texas, it’s a chance to stuff your face with as much queso and varieties of tacos as possible. Score.

My best friend had a baby almost two years ago, and it’s sad that I’m not around more to see him grow up. But that’s part of what I agreed to when I made a decision to move, and she understands that. In fact, nobody blames me for not being around anymore, and the door is always open to come visit me wherever I happen to be.

So even if you’re living life on the road/train/boat/plane/beach, going home is always nice, even if “home” doesn’t really mean the same thing as it used to. You’ll be glad you did.