Thoughts about being at Home away from Home

I am currently in Denmark. The place I was born and called home until I moved to Israel 16 years ago, at the age of 21. It is still home, but a different one than it used to be. Because both Denmark and I have been through many changes since I left 😉

Since 2000 I have been back here once or twice a year. It is holiday, but a very different kind of holiday, because in many ways it is still home. Home away from home. It is familiar but still, not.

Like, when I sleep in the same room that I did as a teenager, with those same walls I painted blue after a high school breakup and those same glow-in-the-dark stars in the ceiling, but now with kids of my own kids sleeping in the other room.

Like, when going to the supermarket here and suddenly it is an exciting outing, because right there are all the foods I have been dreaming of since my last visit. Licorice and curry herring!

Like, when I listen to the radio while driving and the language is so familiar but none of the songs are. And then suddenly, a song comes on from 20 years ago and I sing along from the top of your lungs while my kids look on amused from the back seat.

Like, when suddenly I can feel comfortable with wearing all black and grey because I fit right in!

Like, when a trivial thing like going to the library is a comforting experience, because even with an excellent second language, there really is no beating reading a really good book in my first language.

Like, when realizing that speaking many languages is actually a super power and can be used to speak about people without them understanding 😉

When all comes down to it, yes, I dress a bit differently than here, act a bit differently than people here, perceive things a bit differently than they do here, but still, it is home…. away from home.