A few days ago my family and I landed back home after two weeks away. It’s always an interesting feeling coming home because everything looks and feels the same but there is something different. It’s not always easy or necessary to pinpoint what has changed. But that feeling is present.

And sometimes scary. The reason being, amongst the coziness of home and familiar routines, there is something that now is unfamiliar.

In the experience of travel many things are new. The smells, foods, schedule, and daily structure are all different. I love this because though it can feel uncomfortable, it helps me to be present. I am aware of my surroundings, time slows down, and I am really taking it all in.

Presence whether due to travel or otherwise slows everything down. I can say two weeks away flew by but also felt so full. Each day felt like a few days in one because I was fully present soaking it all up.

Bringing it back home
In the past, I remember not wanting a trip to end or feeling the dread of returning home. A big reason for that is that I let go of a lot of the head noise and habits of regular life and enjoy myself more.

There is a false belief that I can be a certain way away from home but must return to the older way when I return. This isn’t true, it does require effort to embrace and trust the version of myself that I remembered on my trip.

There is also an awareness that I am more of my true self and that at home it feels harder to do that. There is so much responsibility and fear that weighs me down.

Yet, this time I can see that the version of me on a trip or traveling is not so different from the version of me at home. She might feel unfamiliar or out of place but that’s only because the backdrop has shifted.

What feels exciting on a trip may feel unfamiliar at home. This is actually a pathway forward. It’s the reminder that there is more to me and that I can do it differently, if I choose.

This part of me that shows up when I travel is more free and trusting of life. She embraces the unknowns with faith and is capable of navigating situations with more ease.

Summer Transitions
As summer comes to a close and the busyness of September begins, I am carrying this with me. I could easily jump into the craziness and stress of a new full schedule.

That’s easy, it’s familiar. It’s how I did it in the past. A bunch of stress to help me get through back to school shopping, extra curricular sign ups, decision making, scheduling and planning it all.

Or, I can welcome the unfamiliar.

For me that is slower, softer, more present, and less controlled. It doesn’t mean that I won’t feel stressed out about it all. It just means that I’m welcoming a part of me that showed up while I traveled.

I recognize that though it’s different, it feels truer. The work is to continuously welcome that unfamiliar but true nudge to trust life and see each day as a brand new experience rather than a repetition of the past.

It is the okay ness of not knowing exactly what’s next and still embracing it as safe. The unfamiliar is both letting go and accepting what is present in the moment. It is uncomfortable but it also feels right

With love and light,
Orly