For the last seven days I’ve been calling a posh hotel in Chicago, IL “home” – though it felt like anything but.
The room environment was stark and sterile, lacking the character and warmth I’m used to surrounding myself with at home. Because of this, I spent as little time as possible inside the walls of my hotel room – always feeling uncomfortable, uninspired and even a little depressed.
It’s funny how the spaces we inhabit contribute to our overall mood.
But beyond that, I think being away from our “homes” can oftentimes change the people we are – especially in mixed company. Frederick W. Robertson said it best.
“Home is the one place in all this world where hearts are sure of each other. It is the place of confidence. It is the place where we tear off that mask of guarded and suspicious coldness which the world forces us to wear in self-defense, and where we pour out the unreserved communications of full and confiding hearts. It is the spot where expressions of tenderness gush out without any sensation of awkwardness and without any dread of ridicule.”
And so I’m happy to finally be back in New Jersey again. Back home with the woman I love and the one place I know I can totally be myself without fail or question. It’s a wonderful feeling to know that you have such a place to return to.