2. Leaving on a jet plane

So kiss me and smile for me….what is the hardest part about leaving your home for an extended period of time or possibly forever? The people, always the people. I’ve done a lot of leaving in my life. I left my home country, England 32 years ago for what was supposed to be a six month trip. I left my adopted home state of Michigan USA after 23 years of living, raising a family and creating a new “family” of friends there. I left my new home state of California for an extended trip to the UK, India, Thailand and Spain 4 years ago. That time I was gone only 11 months, but it made a big impact on me and the life I had begun to create here was not the same when I returned.

Leaving impacts not just you but everyone around you. We have all been left behind by friends and family at some point in our life as they moved on to pastures new. We live in a much more transient world now. Luckily, unlike when I first left the UK in 1990, it is so much easier to stay in touch via messaging, social media and every now and then a good old fashioned phone call!! It’s easy to share our adventures in real time as they are happening now, for good and bad, the key here is to still stay present to the experience.

Traveling changes you. It broadens your outlook, and if the travel has involved some pilgrimage or spiritual journey there can be enormous transformation. You may find it difficult to settle back into the familiar landscapes of home and even old relationships when you return, on the other hand you may see those landscapes and people with new eyes and feel a greater appreciation for your family, community, home town or country.