Four Weeks Home: The Adventure Has Changed Shape

Four weeks ago we came home, and I have been thinking about how it feels now that the dust has settled a little.

At first, it felt strange. After months of travelling, waking up in different places, checking the weather, planning the next stopover and working out where to walk or cycle, home felt very still. There was unpacking to do, washing to sort, a garden that had clearly carried on growing without us, and Matilda, after working very hard, needed a bit of care herself.

For the first few days, I wondered how it would feel being back. Would I miss the freedom? Would ordinary life feel a bit flat? Would we just fall straight back into old habits?

Four weeks on, I don’t think we have.

Travelling has changed something, but not in a big dramatic way. It has changed how I look at ordinary days. When we were away, life was simple. We moved on, rested, explored, cooked, walked, cycled and watched the world go by. Some days were exciting, some were frustrating, and some were very ordinary, but there was nearly always something to notice.

I think that is the bit I have brought home with me.

Since coming back, life has filled up again with familiar things. The garden has become a project, as it always does at this time of year. The flax, the laurel and the cordylines have all had a critical eye cast over them, and a few have had rather severe haircuts. There are still decisions to make and plenty more to do, but even that feels different. I don’t just see the jobs now. I see the possibilities.

Golf, cycling, family, friends and coffee stops have all slipped back into place too. They are not new things, but perhaps I appreciate them more. A match played in good company, a bird overhead, a squirrel on the grass, a bike ride, a chat, a few hours outside — none of it is dramatic, but it all counts.

The website has also become a much bigger part of my life than I ever expected. When we left, I was still finding my way with it. Now it feels like somewhere to collect the stories, photos, reviews, reflections and little moments that might otherwise disappear.

Four weeks home, I don’t feel as if the adventure has ended. I think it has just changed shape.

For now, it is in the garden, on the golf course, out on the bike, walking in the mountains, catching up with friends and family, and in the ordinary weeks that make up a good life.

Perhaps that is one of the real gifts of travelling. Not just the places you visit, but the way it teaches you to see your own life differently when you come home.