Home. Home base. Home on wheels. Home is where we park it. Home is everywhere. Home is nowhere.
Where is home? What is home? When did we last feel like we were home? Do we need one? Does it need to be bricks and mortar, or can it be a van or a boat or a van on a boat? Seven years later, we are still asking ourselves all of these questions and more.
We almost bought a home or, more precisely, a small cottage on Prince Edward Island this summer. A home base of sorts. A place we could rent when we wanted to be somewhere else. Almost!
When we sold our home seven years ago, our intention was never to leave Toronto. Toronto was home. It was the place we met, started our business, lived, had friends and family. It was the place we always returned like homing pigeons. It fit like a well-worn glove. We knew all the shortcuts; the people were our people. We haven’t felt that sense of home since. Even when we returned in 2017 and bought and renovated what would become a too short period in a coop apartment. We’re still residing in Amherstburg since September 2018. We approached living here as we would any short-term Airbnb stay: we moved our belongings in, hung our art fast, and began living here. We were entertaining and cooking for seven people in our first couple of days.
We always intended to live here as long as my dad (Julie) was alive. After all, he was the ONLY reason we moved here. And so, when he died in May, the freedom to live anywhere once again became a possibility. But knowing you can live anywhere can be daunting. Narrowing down the options can be overwhelming. Our criteria seven years later remain unchanged. Real estate prices, however, continue to escalate even in what we consider to be undesirable locations. As yet, nowhere seems right. More than anything, we miss having a dedicated outdoor space. Van travel certainly fulfills that void, but like most of the world, there wasn’t a lot of travel during the past year and a half. Partly because of the pandemic and partly because of needing to be here supporting dad.
And so we ask you, dear readers:
If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
and
Have you ever wanted to live anywhere other than where you currently live?