i loved madrid.
but i slept badly there.
partly because there were four people in one not-very-big room.
but mostly due to a previous neck injury.
it was the first city on our six-week european trek.
and i already missed my pillow.
by paris, i had decided enough was enough.
i must have a better pillow.
one that i could choose on my own.
one that i could carry with me for the rest of the journey.
and in the search for my new pillow, i realized something.
i realized i had the power to change my circumstances.
from paris on, i carried that pillow with me everywhere.
from hotel room to airbnb apartment to relatives’ homes.
dozing on it in the car, dropping it in the rome subway station.
eventually cramming it in my suitcase for the return flight.
i still sleep on the pillow from paris at home base.
i still bring it on road trips, long and short.
and perhaps i’ll pack it for my next international trip this fall.
it wasn’t the most expensive pillow.
and it certainly isn’t the most attractive pillow.
but the pillow from paris has come to signify more.
more than just comfort for my tired body.
more than just a soft place to rest my head.
more than just a guaranteed good night’s sleep.
the pillow from paris is a tangible reminder.
a reminder of all that is important to me in my life.
as i’ve mentioned before, i am not a settled person.
i get very restless whenever i’m in one place too long.
and i haven’t ever put roots down anywhere.
the pillow from paris helps to bridge my two worlds.
when i’m traveling, it’s a reminder that comfort can come from small things.
no matter where i am, i can create a sense of home.
foreign cities, foreign countries, foreign languages.
but familiarity as well.
the rituals i can reproduce anywhere.
the pillow from paris.
when i’m at home base, it’s a reminder of the adventurer in me.
no matter how long the in-between resting phase, i can find joy in my surroundings.
familiar rooms, familiar routines, familiar faces.
but foreignness as well.
the souvenirs i’ve incorporated into my belongings.
the pillow from paris.
and as i lay my head down on the pillow from paris each night, i smile.
i dream of what’s to come.
knowing that the future will contain elements of both excitement and coziness.
conforme aux exigences = meets the requirements.
(yes. it does.)
what object reminds you of the where-my-heart-is definition of home?
share this tangible expression of your life with me in the comments.
Wow, I really had to stop and think about this…perhaps because my comforts of home are nearly as simple as your pillow (which I love by the way!)…for me, this may sound funny or strange, but it is most definitely my Vitamix and my workout equipment!! Such a creature of habit with my morning workout and shakes! Nourishing my body & mind with good food and great workout is my treat to myself 🙂
Oh, man, I agree with Stacey that my viatmix is one of my comfort objects. That and my cast iron. Without a good cast iron and vitamix food just isn’t the same 😉
My comforts… hmmmm… I adore my blue sleeping bag. When I travel it comes. And I’m cozy. I love the colour, the feel, the lightness… and now, I carry along my eggshell foam thing cause I love my comfort. Sometimes, I feel like… I am bringing a lot … but when I’m there, I feel at home, sleep well, and am grateful for whoever developed this foam eggshell thing… cause I sleep like a baby on it. So that’s how I bring my home with me where every I go (in the car that is) I too, have a travelling pillow.
What a great post!!!1 Love your pillow and it’s ‘french’ tag! Love it!!!1
I used to travel with a photographer who carried an entire assortment of ‘comforts from home’. He had personal photos, a special clock, and would arrange a few of his things around the room in an effort to ‘style’ the space. Of course, I thought, “Who has space to pack that stuff?” but really, it doesn’t need to be much.
But my real takeaway here is when you said you realized you had the power to change your circumstances. Yes! We all do. But we don’t always remember….
I loved the line “comfort can come from small things.” For me it is smells. The faint smell of campfire smoke is comfort. So is brewing coffee, breakfast baked goods, and Everett’s cologne.
Such a great post on how you simply shifted your thoughts and took action to change your uncomfortable to comfortable. I always bring my sneakers to exercise and my journal to write in (best writing happens on the plane rides)…I guess it’s about the ritual that keeps me feeling like home wherever I am.
I often travel with my pillow as well. 😉
This is a great title for a novel or a memoir, April. Have you thought about writing one? 🙂
Super Cool post April!! I don’t currently have an object that bridges my many worlds, but my mind serves the role right now. I’m playing in my head all the time, but this doesn’t exactly merge the worlds. I think I’m going to have to start looking for my “pillow”. Thank you for such a beautifully written and thought provoking post!! 🙂
I love my pillow, but I love my bed even more! It’s a super comfy pillow-top mattress that feels like sleeping on a cloud. I wish there were a way to pack it up and take it with me wherever I go. Any little piece of home is so comforting to bring along. I travel with a satin eye pillow that helps to relax me when I travel. It also smells of lavender which is a beautiful scent and reminds me of home. 🙂
I often travel with my pillow! If I’m not sleeping then my day/life/trip suffers. I haven’t thought about it ad the continuity, that’d do nice to consider!
Honoring you.
Great post! Really got me thinking! I think the “bridge ” for me is my meditation practice actually. I know its not tangible but it grounds me like nothing else. As soon as I sit on a pillow I relax into that feeling of “home” you described- the comfort of knowing that everything is absolutely well in this precious moment. Thanks for this great reminder 🙂
Love this! I find comfort in simple things like that as well, my pillow, also being one of them. One thing that really popped out to me in your entry was how you took control of what you could change to create a better experience for yourself. Life is definitely in the details, of what is meaningful to us. Thank you!
100% it’s my husband. He reminds me of home because he is the love of my life and I want to spend all of my time with him. I was just on a trip to Vegas without him – it was only a 3 day trip but I missed him terribly. When we travel together, I don’t get homesick. I totally agree that you have to figure out what will help you get through long trips without getting homesick. I don’t think I will be traveling without my husband too often 🙂
I have my travel pillow with at all times. But running, my running shoes, my journals, the little bear from my bf, my childhood stuffed animal ‘friend’, and my camera are my ‘homes’ and comforts that come with me everywhere. It is important to me as I am a nomad, moving every 3 months on average, coaching clients online… And yes, there is a choice, always a choice, maybe not always the pillow, but you always have the power of choice. I love this post!
I want a pillow from Paris! xxxooo