Member-only story
How My Relationship to Home Has Changed in the Pandemic
For some of us, home has taken on a greater meaning
“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…
