An Ounce of Home – You’re embarking on a yearlong round-the-world adventure, and can take only one small object with you to remind you of home. What do you bring along for the trip?
This reminds me of when I emigrated to Israel at the end of 1978. I brought as close as I could to an entire world in three trunks. Real trunks. You know, the big hard-sided ones that were, at one time, standard luggage for trains and aboard ship.
I quickly discovered you can’t bring home with you, even if you bring a lot of stuff from it. Because home isn’t your stuff. It isn’t your house. Not even your loved ones. It’s all of that and something more, something indefinable that makes you know you are in that safe harbor called “Home.”
These days, since I won’t go anywhere without at least one laptop and all my cameras, there’s not much need for a specific memento. I have thousands of photographs of home, friends, the region in all seasons on every computer and I could just as easily access this blog and find anything else I might miss. Short of actually being home, with WiFi and computers … we are never far from home. Any of us.
It is probably the single most significant social change technology has wrought over the past 20 years. I don’t always like it. I don’t always want to be connected or safe. A little whiff of potential danger is like spice in your food. It’s a big part of the fun of traveling. Getting away from everything and anyone. Being on your own. Taking a break from friends and family used to give me a chance to miss them and therefore, appreciate them.
But we are so connected these days. No matter where we go, we are never completely “away.” In fact, we are no farther than the nearest cell phone tower or WiFi connection. How can you miss someone who texts or calls you 25 times a day? Why would you miss a home you have photographed top to bottom and carry with you everywhere?
It takes much of the adventure out of travel, don’t you think?
When I read this prompt, the same thoughts came to mind, but now there’s no need for me to respond as you have said pretty much what I would have said, only you did it so much better than I would have done it.
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I don’t know about better. You’ve been doing some fine writing my friend. Really fine. Your post today is A+. I’m waiting for the series!
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Why thank you. That’s high praise coming from you.
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And sincere. Imagine that!
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Yes it does, but say you didn’t have access to those things now what do you take??? Good post by the way, some of the prompts are silly but fun.
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Unless I’m climbing Everest (highly unlikely) or visiting North Korea (equally unlikely) there are cell towers and WiFi pretty much everywhere. In Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia, New Zealand. I can’t imagine anyplace I would be where it would unavailable at all.
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Ok Ms. Armstrong, hahahaha got it!!! And you’re very funny. Ok I’m stalking your page now lol.
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Stalk your heart out 🙂 You are welcome.
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I cannot receive texts or access date currently on my phone so it is my camera and I would be lost without catching that singular little moment !
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I am wedded to my cameras and the computer, as the place I process my pictures, is part of the package. My cell phone is off. I don’t currently have an active account and this makes me happy 🙂
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I must keep an account for my children !
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Good idea 🙂
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How true! You managed to make me laugh. We really are so connected these days. When we didn’t live near our grandchildren, we Skyped. Facebook? Almost all of my family is there. Texting? Sometimes, we do that more than talking. Technology really has made this a smaller world.
I decided not to go high tech (sort of), and focused on an object that I never travel without.
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A travel iron? You still can’t do that with a cell phone!
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Haha! You got me there 🙂
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Amen! My one vote of something from home would of course be the Kizzmeister, but I can see where you are coming from on this one.
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I would have taken one of the dogs. Hell, I’d take all of them … but you can’t travel internationally with pets. The laws in many countries — like the UK — make it impossible.
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I’m not sure I’d have to leave the country to be comfortable…just somewhere with nice weather and beaches would be nice.
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I still would like to see Paris someday, though it seems pretty unlikely. But hopefully we will have one more trip to someplace special … maybe Jamaica — speaking of nice weather and beaches!
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I don’t think anything could take the adventure out of travel. I kind of like to check out when travelling and leave home behind. Thought provoking post though, what would I bring to remind me of home??? I’ll have to ponder that.
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For me the whole point of travel is to leave home behind. But that’s pretty hard these days.
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