I have been on the road for 14 days. Traveling out west for an unexpected death in the familly. Grateful for flexibility with my work and a laptop to be on the road, I packed my bags in 20 minutes and headed straight to the airport on New Years Eve. Packing for what I thought I would need for a few short days, my extended journey gave me a exactly what I needed.

I was raised in the suburbs of Salt Lake City. All of my immediate family resides there, and going home is always hectic with visits, so this trip I focused solely on family time.

As many of you know, I love my time in the clouds. I could board a plane to a new destination daily and spend my life jet setting the world. Naturally packing and running to an airport last minute excites me! What I did not expect to happen was a delay in wanting to board again, and the magic of the gifts I received.

My aunt’s passing provided me a week of laughter and conversation that filled my soul with pictures I can take back to Asheville. Movie nights with my nieces, visits with friends, and dinners with family warmed my heart with love again.

My sister-in-law baked my moms homemade waffle cookies, a childhood favorite of mine. My mom and I got pedicures and shopped together, my little brother and I cracked jokes as we pushed each other to run longer on the treadmill at the gym, and my oldest brother and I bonded at a bronco game in Denver. It felt like home.

As we discussed memories, nicknames (one of mine was fruit stripes), and the future I realized I wished there was an app that could beam me home when I needed a family fix. Even more, I realized home is where I am. Salt Lake will always be home, and so will Asheville, Briland, and Merida. My desire for experiences and growth have taken me away from Salt Lake City, although I will forever deeply be rooted there.

Boarding the plane to Denver, I ran into an old school friend. It’s funny how life has a way of reminding us of beautiful memories, while also reminding us of what we want.

Going home was exactly what I needed. Traveling to Denver together was also exactly what I needed. When I left Denver and re-routed through New York for a night, I felt as if the stars aligned for another opportune moment. Live for today they say, and that is exactly how I stepped into this 14 day adventure.

Now aboard my flight from New York to Atlanta, I am ready to go home again. This time to Asheville. When I checked in at JFK, the airline asked if I could give up my seat. I said yes, leaving up to fate as to when I would get home.

The reality is, yesterday, I was not ready to go home and I fought for the opportunity to make it to New York. With flight patterns on my side I had the ability to make an impromptu meeting. Today, I sat back and breathed a sigh of relief that I would be home in my bed tonight.

Sometimes we all need to go home.
Home to where we grew up. Home to visit a friend. Home to visit family. Home to visit a place that speaks to our soul. Home is what we make of it. Home for me is where my heart is. My heart sings for a few places, and what I know is it is time to go home.