Home Away From Home

Home is not a place, it is a feeling.

It’s been 100 days since we left Sydney. That’s a lot of days. Being away, without a proper base for that long has had its challenges. You’re without routine, moving between houses and hotels, sleeping in different beds and living out of a suitcase. Like all travel related things, there are pros and cons. The pros of seeing the world, experiencing the new and spending extended time with family and friends always outweighs the cons. But some kind of routine, ritual or practice (I’ve slowly realised) is essential to keep yourself going.

When you’re on the road you so often don’t eat the way you would at home, you drink more and in my case exercise a whole lot less. And after a while it takes its toll. Working out what the few basic things are that you need to help you feel settled and connected to a new place, makes it easier to stay nomadic a little longer and that can’t be such a bad thing!

Fresh, local food

Find the local shop, ask around and see where the best place to buy fresh produce is. Especially after a long flight I’m alway craving a fresh home cooked meal. Even if you don’t have access to cook where you’re staying, you can buy fresh fruit, fresh bread and healthy snacks from the shop to carry with you. If you have space to cook, make your favourite meal. Eating out is fun but on a longer trip it’s not really sustainable for the the bank balance (or the waistline!)

Yoga studio (or whatever movement works for you…)

This is a HUGE one for me; finding the local yoga studio. if I have time I’ll always sign up to their intro pack or at least book a drop in. Discovering new teachers, teaching styles and practices not only works wonders for my own yoga practice and teaching, it stops me going totally cray and keeps my mind in check! It helps me feel more grounded wherever I am in the world, coming onto the mat always makes a place feel more like home.

Get outside

In Sydney there’s the beach and in London I’ve got Hampstead Heath so being close to nature and getting myself outside makes the difference between a good and bad day. (Note to self: remember this on the bad days!) In Toronto right now we’re lucky enough to be staying near The Beaches so I can easily walk along the waterfront down at Lake Ontario. Fresh air + exercise, it’s not rocket science but definitely makes a difference!

There will always come a point where you miss the comforts of home, friends and family included. But while I’m not quite ready to stop exploring…the little things that help me along will have to do!