Hey Scott - thanks for this. I love the connections you make to home and your airport travel. I can very much picture the scene! Great to be connected here.
This is beautiful, Catriona, and the feelings you describe are so familiar to me, though I grew up not in Scotland but in rural Australia. I learned a few years into my travels that people back "home", with the exception of my family, really didn't want to hear about it. Any mention of my life beyond our borders was seen as boasting. "You think you're better than us?" If I moved back there now I'd have to pretend that the past 35 years never happened. My hometown taught me that where you were born is not necessarily where you belong.
Oh this is so powerful Michelle. I love that home is not necessarily where you belong - although I do feel more belonging at home than I used to - the lack of belonging definitely encouraged me towards travel and exploring other places.
I feel more confident about who I am when I go back home now, but it is true I never talk much about my experiences abroad and it is as if they start to not exist - as you say. I think it is hard to relate to places and experiences where you don't have first-hand experiences but sometimes my experience of something that happened in Myanmar or Nicaragua feels relevant to the conversation :D
This is so true, the not wanting to draw attention for having it too good, the feeling you have to shy away from things that, when you think about it clearly, you see you are proud of and fought hard for and make your life - and you - what you are. It is a hard lesson to unlearn, especially for women I think. And I think often a recurring challenge….
Thank you for this Bonnie and yes I agree. I should have been proud of the career I had fought hard to get into but instead I was a bit ashamed and tried to hide it. I think this fed into a lot of other things too - like staying in toxic jobs because I felt I wouldn't have any other options. And yes, I think this impacts women more due to the way we are socialised and the expectations society has about the roles we should play/things we should do with our lives.
I grew up in Geneva, Switzerland, my mother is English, my father Italian and for the majority of my education went to an international school. I don’t feel like I come from anywhere in particular, although Switzerland is my “home”. I am lucky to have a second home in Spain, and love it here (I’m in Spain now) something in my heart opens as soon as I arrive. It’s always been this way, ever since I set foot on Ibiza more than twenty years ago years ago. My house is on mainland Spain, not Ibiza, it’s easier to go to and from. But something about Spain sparks my creativity; my first book is set in Ibiza. As for takin up space in the world, I’m a little conflicted about it; I’m shy but extrovert at the same time through my writing. My mother is angry with me at the moment because she didn’t approve of my piece about my youth (How I went from Trad wife to Rock Chick (or something like that, can’t remember the exact title)) and said I must unpublish it. Of course I haven’t so she’s not speaking to me 🙈. I think it embarrassed her or stirred up things from her youth that she doesn’t like (I was born before my parents got married which in 1961 was scandalous in the north of England). Now I’ve written part two which I hope she doesn’t read, although there’s nothing terrible to read; I tend to turn everything to humour anyway. Sorry, rambling here!!
Loving the rambling Francesca. What a great story and interesting that not having a home home kind of freed you up from some of this thinking.
Spain must be great place to have your roots. I was actually just googling how much is property in Sevilla last night 🙂😂🌻
My trick is to not tell my family I write online… not sure that is good methodology but it lets me feel more free to express myself. I hope your mum reconciles with your perspective in time.
Hey Scott - thanks for this. I love the connections you make to home and your airport travel. I can very much picture the scene! Great to be connected here.
This is beautiful, Catriona, and the feelings you describe are so familiar to me, though I grew up not in Scotland but in rural Australia. I learned a few years into my travels that people back "home", with the exception of my family, really didn't want to hear about it. Any mention of my life beyond our borders was seen as boasting. "You think you're better than us?" If I moved back there now I'd have to pretend that the past 35 years never happened. My hometown taught me that where you were born is not necessarily where you belong.
Oh this is so powerful Michelle. I love that home is not necessarily where you belong - although I do feel more belonging at home than I used to - the lack of belonging definitely encouraged me towards travel and exploring other places.
I feel more confident about who I am when I go back home now, but it is true I never talk much about my experiences abroad and it is as if they start to not exist - as you say. I think it is hard to relate to places and experiences where you don't have first-hand experiences but sometimes my experience of something that happened in Myanmar or Nicaragua feels relevant to the conversation :D
Yes, I can relate to this and you have prompted me to write about it, thank you!
Aw that's great Margi. I look forward to reading your piece. Please do share it when you are ready!
This is so true, the not wanting to draw attention for having it too good, the feeling you have to shy away from things that, when you think about it clearly, you see you are proud of and fought hard for and make your life - and you - what you are. It is a hard lesson to unlearn, especially for women I think. And I think often a recurring challenge….
Thank you for this Bonnie and yes I agree. I should have been proud of the career I had fought hard to get into but instead I was a bit ashamed and tried to hide it. I think this fed into a lot of other things too - like staying in toxic jobs because I felt I wouldn't have any other options. And yes, I think this impacts women more due to the way we are socialised and the expectations society has about the roles we should play/things we should do with our lives.
I grew up in Geneva, Switzerland, my mother is English, my father Italian and for the majority of my education went to an international school. I don’t feel like I come from anywhere in particular, although Switzerland is my “home”. I am lucky to have a second home in Spain, and love it here (I’m in Spain now) something in my heart opens as soon as I arrive. It’s always been this way, ever since I set foot on Ibiza more than twenty years ago years ago. My house is on mainland Spain, not Ibiza, it’s easier to go to and from. But something about Spain sparks my creativity; my first book is set in Ibiza. As for takin up space in the world, I’m a little conflicted about it; I’m shy but extrovert at the same time through my writing. My mother is angry with me at the moment because she didn’t approve of my piece about my youth (How I went from Trad wife to Rock Chick (or something like that, can’t remember the exact title)) and said I must unpublish it. Of course I haven’t so she’s not speaking to me 🙈. I think it embarrassed her or stirred up things from her youth that she doesn’t like (I was born before my parents got married which in 1961 was scandalous in the north of England). Now I’ve written part two which I hope she doesn’t read, although there’s nothing terrible to read; I tend to turn everything to humour anyway. Sorry, rambling here!!
Loving the rambling Francesca. What a great story and interesting that not having a home home kind of freed you up from some of this thinking.
Spain must be great place to have your roots. I was actually just googling how much is property in Sevilla last night 🙂😂🌻
My trick is to not tell my family I write online… not sure that is good methodology but it lets me feel more free to express myself. I hope your mum reconciles with your perspective in time.