Home

HomeThis post was originally published on the Simple Joy Organizing blog on June 27, 2014.Last summer, I had the opportunity to spend eight weeks exploring and traveling. It was the first time in my life that I felt like I actually had a real “summer vacation”. There had always been weeklong trips here and there, but it always seemed that just about the time we got settled into vacation mode, it was time to pack up and head “home”.So after being able to spend almost two months away from my “home”, visiting new places and spending time with friends and family, I experienced a major turning point in my life. I realized that I didn’t have to be at my house to feel at home. I realized that home is where my joy is, not where my stuff is. I didn't need my stuff to be happy.Home can be anywhere….it doesn’t have to be confined to four walls filled with things. For me, home was

• the 18-hour drive to the ocean
• the hotel room overlooking Niagara Falls
• the 100-year-old house on the ocean where we were welcomed to watch fireworks on the 4th of July with friends old and new
• standing at the foot of the Statue of Liberty on a cloudy day looking up in awe with my family and other curious visitors

None of these experiences required much more than clothes on our backs and food to eat…They were, however, filled with many other things like

• contentment
• laughter
• stories
• friends
• nature
• presence
• listening
• learning
• exploring

There is nothing like the experience of being away from your stuff, with the people you love, doing activities you enjoy to make you realize how little you really need.Simply being free from the responsibilities of your things, opens up so much space. Space that can be left empty (to just be) or space that can be filled with all that you love. And in this space, you can feel at home wherever you are.So I ask you to consider, where is “home” for you? Send me a note-I’d love to hear!With Many Blessings,Lisa