How My Relationship to Home Has Changed in the Pandemic

For some of us, home has taken on a greater meaning

Photo by Birgit Loit on Unsplash

“There’s no place like home.” — Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz

Early in the pandemic I rarely left my house. The world out there felt too scary and home became my hideout. I thought there would come a time that I would feel safe out in the world again, and venturing out would be a relief. That is not how it’s turned out for me.

Whenever I venture out, whether it’s a grocery run, an appointment, or a long overdue visit with family or friends, the relief is in coming back home. When I enter the driveway I want to jump out of the car and run through the door, inhaling the smells, kissing the cats, falling into my comfy spot on the couch. I am home. Hallelujah! I realize that I have come to equate home with safety, security and stability. It is a respite from a still-too-scary world.

I have always loved home and all the things associated with it: comfort, refuge, sanctuary. But I have also become restless at times, and needed to get out of the four walls and find a change of scenery. After the long stretch of time within these four walls I would think I would be stir-crazy to get out and do things again. See new places, meet people for dinner, shop in quaint little towns. But a recent day trip to an artsy downtown area with bookstores, antique shops and trendy clothing stores made me realize that I don’t enjoy the diversion as much as I used to. When we were finished with lunch, browsing, and walking through town, my husband asked, “What next?” and I immediately answered, “Home.”

At home I have a garden, a little flock of chickens and a view of a mountain out my back door. When the pandemic began, home became everything. Home provided adventure (snakes in the hen house), relaxation (sitting on the swing and watching the moon rise), and culinary delights (it was the best restaurant in town.)There was nothing I needed that home did not provide. The walls of home hold the person I love the most in the world, the cats that make life cozier, and the views of trees, birds and sky out every window.

Every room is filled with books. I can order whatever I need and have it delivered to my door. I can walk out my front door and be in the…