Fly Away Home

Author's Note

Home can be an elusive word to define.

To some, it's a physical thing. It is a place that shelters us from harsh elements threatening to disrupt our daily lives. Whether it's excessive heat, blistering cold, torrential rain, or icy accumulations, four walls and a roof keep each of those perceived risks at bay.

To others, home is an intangible entity. It's a feeling of warmth, security, and knowing you belong, wherever and whenever you find yourself. It might be in one particular location, or it might be nowhere at all. A wandering nomad may feel a stronger sense of home than anyone. It has nothing to do with where they may be, but everything to do with whom they share each of those moments.

There is no right or wrong answer. There are as many definitions of home as there are people in the world. The thing we want competes with that which we need. And sometimes, like Claire, we get caught in the middle. That void has the power to consume us, and we find ourselves in an emotional purgatory, lost and alone.

But maybe there's a way to navigate that divide between want and need. And perhaps there's an even better definition for home nestled in that space.

Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home. ~Matsuo Basho

There's so much beauty to see in the world surrounding us. While that process of discovery might sometimes call for us to travel across continents, there are other times when we're asked to do nothing more than sit still and look inward.

It's not where we go or how far we travel that matters. It's what we learn and who we meet along the way. That is where we bridge the gap between want and need. That is where we find home.

May all your travels—physical, emotional, and spiritual—be an encouraging breeze beneath your wings. Appreciate the view, soar high, and find that place in your heart where everything is as it should be.

Embrace the spirit of adventure. It's never too late to come home.