When our flight home from the West Indies finally touched down at LAX, Andrew and I got our first glimpse of the foggy skies and long shadows cast across a winter-stricken Southern California. The small amount of frigid, outside air that crept between the junction in the plane door and the jet bridge was enough to remind us we were indeed back in LA. As we walked into the terminal and passed the very seats in which we waited so eagerly for the trip to start, both of us chuckled about how much we missed the anticipation of the unknown.
However, as we entered the door to our house, the subtle, subconscious familiarities of home embraced us. I heard the jingle of our three cats’ bell as they ran up to greet us and smelled the onions caramelizing for the feast my mom was preparing. I felt conditioned, like Pavlov’s dogs. These subtle cues relaxed me, creating a sense of security and safety.
As the days went on, it was nice falling back into old routines of waking up in the same bed, eating the same cereal, and surfing in the same spot. Life was easy, and easy was good.
Andrew and I had found all of the excitement, adventure, blue water, and white sand we could have ever hoped for in the Caribbean. The one thing we could not find was that special kind of familiarity and belonging we experienced at home. Even if we couldn’t articulate it at the time, we missed the cold Pacific waters. We missed the cat’s jingle and my mom’s irreplaceable home-cooked meals. Most of all, we missed the people in our lives that keep us connected to our roots.
In an unexpected-yet-cliche way, being gone from home made me appreciate it so much more. The thing that travel photos can’t convey is the lack of familiarity and belonging that comes with venturing to a new place. I’m not trying to label those as bad feelings. The excitement of breaking out of routine is often the main reason people want to explore. But, it is important to appreciate wherever you get to call home. There are plenty of places with whiter sand, higher mountains, and different cultures, but there is nowhere else that brings the same internal comfort as falling asleep in your own bed.
In an effort to make the most of our time at home, and time together, Andrew and I dragged our family to new corners of our little peninsula. The mountains may not be as extreme as those in Patagonia, and the water may not be as blue as the Caribbean, but to me, the photos will always be a reminder of what is truly irreplaceable: home.
I hope you enjoy our gallery.
-Chris Buchanan