As I write this week’s blog, I sit on a balcony overlooking the Pacific. You could say I ‘escaped’ from a dark prairie November where the sunlight seemed to be a rare commodity that not even the most wealthy had access to.
But if you are anything like me, I instantly missed my Home once I arrived. I am a creature of habit. I am not one for novelty, despite it keeping me young. There is something special about Home.
I don’t believe in luck or coincidence. Things just don’t happen. Life, the Creator, is always throwing us a lesson whenever there is a chance – much like a mother throwing spinach into their child’s smoothie – you’re gonna do it with every chance you get, and so is God. One day, HE figures, ‘Surely you will wake up, but until you do…here is one more chance or nibble I will send.’
Relating this back to travel, it reminded me of an entry written by Frederick Buechner about travel, and I quote:
Sometimes, we travel to get away and see something of the world. Sometimes we travel to get away from ourselves. Sometimes, we travel to convince ourselves that we are getting someplace.
That may be true of all of us. At the heart of all our travelling is the dream of someday getting Home.
Hours after I arrived, I messaged my daughter to ask how things were at Home, and she sent me the photo above. It was about 5 p.m., and even though I was listening to the waves crash around me and feeling the moist air on my face, I longed to be in the dimmer lights and feel the warmth of the fireplace around me. I felt like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz.
The parables we read in the Bible and the teachings of a good Disney movie are something we often need to wake ourselves up—just like Dorothy needed from her Adventures in Oz. For those of you who need a bit of a reminder of the story, I will do a quick recap below.
In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy learns that the qualities she sought from external sources—Home, courage, intelligence, and love—were within her all along.
Her journey through Oz teaches her several key lessons:
The Value of Home: Dorothy realizes that “there’s no place like home.” Her adventures help her appreciate the people and places she initially took for granted.
Inner Strength: Although she begins the journey feeling powerless, Dorothy’s actions—leading her companions, standing up to the Wicked Witch, and seeking help from the Wizard—demonstrate her bravery and resourcefulness.
Companionship and Teamwork: Dorothy learns the importance of forming strong bonds and relying on friends who, like her, seek something meaningful. Together, they support and encourage one another.
Self-Discovery: By the end of her journey, Dorothy understands that she always had the power to return home. The Good Witch, Glinda, tells her, “You’ve always had the power, my dear. You just had to learn it for yourself.”
Dorothy’s experience symbolizes a coming-of-age story, showing that growth often comes through challenges and that the answers to life’s dilemmas usually lie within.
Therefore I look forward to my week away, for both the solitude and the time spent with people I love, the detachment from devices, and most of all, the insights and reflections I take home with me.