There's No Place Like Home Mon, Apr 24, 2017

Quick etymology lesson for you on this lovely Monday morning:

Homesickness 

This English word comes from the German Heimweh (home + woe/pain) and was first introduced to other languages by Swiss soldiers as they expressed their longing for their gorgeous Swiss mountains.

I'm often asked if I am homesick. And my answer is always "no". Of course I miss people, and places, and driving a car, and IPAs, and large open spaces. But for me, "home" is where I feel comfortable, where I can relax, and where I can recharge.

Last week I took myself on a week-long, 3-city tour. It was amazing, and I would wholeheartedly recommend Budapest, Bratislava, and Vienna to anyone visiting Europe. But it was exhausting.

So on my trip I made sure to find small "homes". I got up at 5am in Budapest to trek to the top of the citadel and catch the sunrise. One night in Bratislava I skipped out on the hostel pub crawl, and instead watched a movie and drank copious amounts of tea with some new Canadian friends. And in Vienna I ran to the hills, literally. Well, if you replace ran with walked, then literally. Just escaping the city and the normal tourist agenda, and discovering rolling vineyards and hiking trails, was enough to recharge and feel at "home" again. 

When it gets hectic this week, make sure that you take the time to relax and recharge. Whatever your "home" is, embrace it when you need that pick-me-up.