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Lisbon is my new home!


Well I did visit Lisbon, but I can’t say I’m staying there currently… read on to find out how I discovered a home there ;-)


I’ve been thinking about the concept of “home” recently and what that really means. I reckon the reason why it’s prevalent to me is because I moved around a bit last year which didn’t make me feel “settled”: Sydney – Auckland – Sydney – London.

Today marks five months since I arrived in London. I’m starting to feel settled, but is London home?

What do others think
Speaking with fellow Sydneysiders in London, the generally feeling is having one foot planted in Sydney and the other in London. Their upbringing and connections anchor them to Sydney and their living in London is a temporary escape. I totally get this mindset, it makes logical sense, but I don’t particularly like it.

The notion that staying in London is temporary, however, ironically lasts at least two years, is unsettling. It feels fleeting and not entirely real (cue Neverland), like being suspended in an alternate reality.

I’m the kind of person that craves all the benefits of feeling settled – comfort, safety, security. So whilst I enjoy ‘playing pinball’ the idea of not being settled or at home for so long isn’t ideal.

Is home where the heart is?
It’s a popular saying, and so if I just transport my heart to London it should feel like I’m home, right? Problem solved! I’m not sure what the costs are for shipping an illusory heart from Sydney to London, but again, I’m not comforted by this notion.

This notion feels to me like wherever you travel you won’t be fully present because your heart is resting at home. Based on this, I could be living in London for two years with a heart constantly aching to go back home. Again, unsettling.

What’s the solution
Serendipitously, I found a workable solution whilst strolling in Lisbon…


Home is where I am - this view comforts me. 

Mainly because it places the notion of home entirely within my control. It's not something that’s stuck in the past and out of my control, rather it's a living thing that's here and now.

Shifting my view towards this notion, I’ve rejected the idea that my feet are planted in two corners of the world or that my heart isn't with me, but rather that I am fully present wherever I am. Home is where I am. It’s a constant that is always around.


Applying this thinking, the world feels less foreign. Any faraway land could become home because I am there. Home isn’t tied to a single place, but rather it's everywhere. 

This notion reminds me of some Buddhist principles and of travelling saddhus, where everything is believed to be impermanent and life is constantly shifting. Being freed from the anchor of a home removes predefined notions of it and allows you to fully embrace wherever you are. I like this.


…
..
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Ok, so this post got a little deep and I’m going to pull it back now haha. Whilst Lisbon isn’t my physical home, I really did enjoy the above learning ^^^ of which many similar ones tend to happen when you travel, especially on your own. Aside from that, the city was great! Here are few pics for you to enjoy :-) 



















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