The Push and Pull: Between Wanderlust and Home
A Tug-of-War Between Wanderlust and the Longing for Home. Sounds familiar right?
For years, I’ve built a career (and ultimately my life) around travel seeking out the most beautiful destinations, the most immersive experiences, always seeking the stories waiting to be told. Travel has shaped me, fueled my curiosity, and expanded my world in ways I could have never imagined.
And yet, for all the flights I’ve taken and places I’ve fallen in love with, I’ve never craved home more.
There’s something about returning not just to a place, but to a feeling. Sitting on my couch, doing absolutely nothing. Cooking in my own kitchen with no dinner reservations in sight. Sitting by the fire pit on my vintage outdoor furniture, the kind that has lived more lives than I ever will but somehow feels like it was always meant to be mine. Opening a bottle of wine I brought back from Croatia, just because it’s a Wednesday and I can.
The tension between movement and stillness is something I feel deeply. The desire to see the world, to immerse myself in different cultures, to be forever in search of something new. And yet, equally strong, is the longing to build something lasting … community, a home, a life with my fiance that feels grounded, no matter where we are.
How do you hold space for both? Can you be someone who longs to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time?
Maybe this is just the beginning of that conversation. I wonder if you feel this too. Are you craving rootedness in a world that celebrates movement?
P.S. I’m hosting my first Substack Live soon to talk more about this exact feeling the push and pull between travel and home, and how we create space for both. I’d love to hear your thoughts and open the conversation beyond the page.
Stay tuned for details (and make sure you’re on the app so you don’t miss it!).
with immense gratitude,
ashley
I relate to this a lot especially right before I leave for a big trip where I'll be away from home for a long period, there's always something that happens that makes me want to stay home. This happened recently to me the day before my trip to Europe where my neighbors showed me some new neighborhood kittens they were taking care of - in that moment knowing that I would be missing seeing them grow for the next couple of weeks made me long to stay home. Obviously I still went on my trip and overall enjoyed it immensely, but definitely felt a push and pull in that moment. ✨
I feel this deeply! I'm not sure if you're familiar with human design, but I am a Caves environment, so I crave stability, familiarity, and safety. This likely explains why I travel to the same three places over and over again: NYC, London, and Paris. I am so familiar with each destination now, stay in hotels that feel like home, have my routines in each city, etc. I'll even often eat at the same place multiple times while I'm there!
I still want to see more of the world though! For me, when going to a new destination, what helps it to feel more like 'home' is having a few anchors I can research/identify ahead of time.