Coming home: a vacation’s parting gift
I just got home from a family holiday in Italy’s beautiful Umbria region. We had a great time enjoying the breathtaking sights: the rolling green hills, the gentle mountain streams, and cobblestone medieval cities. And the food. Dear lord, the food. I already miss the pasta, pizza, and truffle1.
When we got home a few days ago, however, I was incredibly happy; I didn’t miss Italy at all. Why? As much as I love going on holiday, I love coming home equally as much, if not more.
Home is comfortable and familiar. You know where everything is (okay, mostly) and have everything just the way you want it. You don’t have to think about each and every little thing, as opposed to when you’re on vacation (where, for the love of God, are the cups?!)
Not only that, you’re reunited with all the comforts of home: a dishwasher (my wrinkled hands are grateful), a laundry machine (no more worrying if you’ve got enough clean clothes left), and have I mentioned the joy of sleeping in your own bed again? My God, did I miss my comfy mattress and pillows…
This is a vacation’s parting gift: a reinvigorated appreciation for home. You see everything with fresh eyes, appreciating the big and the small all over again. Sadly, that feeling quickly fades, and once again we take everything for granted. The trick is to hang on to this newfound gratitude as long as we can. Perhaps that is the key to La Dolce Vita.2