The Centering Powers Of A Hometown Visit

I had the privilege to spend this past week in my beautiful hometown. It was awesome. Most of the time I head there for one or another holiday, which makes the time frenetic and busy. But this week I had the opportunity to just take it all in and saw a lot of people I love who I don't get to see that often.

Looking back on the past week, two things really stick out to me. The first is that no matter how much time passes it is always fantastic to connect with people we love and who love us back. Almost every day while I was there I got to visit with a family member or old friend. Sometimes planned, sometimes by miraculous happenchance. It is so good to be able to pick up right where you left off no matter how many years it has been.

(Momentary laughing break here to say that I typed the word happenchance, then wondered if that was even a real word. I looked it up and it is a word and does mean exactly what I wanted it to mean. Then the bigger questions came, how do I even know that word? When have I ever heard it used, seen it in writing or adopted it into my vocabulary?! Weird.)

The second is how the power of connecting with our pasts and with our home base can regulate us and help us to feel deeply happy and centered. The past few months have been dizzyingly full of new and interesting challenges, new worries and unknown, uncontrollable realities. And I've been on my own to deal with all of that. Being around my people gave me a breath of fresh air, renewed my strength and helped me feel like myself again. What a fantastic gift. Thank you to my people, especially to my sisters who I have been able to spend three of the past 10 weeks with. Hooray for that!

And now I feel ready to get home and reconnect with my life there. There are some big projects to deal with but I am better prepared to face them now. I am craving a visit to the beach. Looking forward to connecting with friends there and spending the weekend with The Bug. Maybe a Dodgers game on tap. Also on my list of To Dos is to plan another visit home. I fall in love with the beauty of that place every time I visit. Looking forward to seeing some snow on the mountains the next time.

How do you feel after a visit home? Are you rushed like I usually am or do you take time to drink it all in? Do you have your must visit food spots, shops, sights and people?

Wishing you a very, very happy weekend!