Home. Four lettters that carry so much weight. For some, it’s a place to return to that conjures up memories of conflict, of sadness, of a hierarchy that one never truly outgrows. 
 
For others it is, as Robert Frost said, the place where “when you have to go there, they have to take you in.” A safe spot to fall back on when the world and its demands get to be too much. A cocoon of comfort where you can peel off the mask you wear for the world and be yourself: flawed and human, vulnerable and sometimes weary of feeling unloved any other place on earth.
 
For me, home is where, after a long time apart, Molly greets us with unfettered ecstasy: a cacophany of barks, licks and uncontrolled tail wags. A place where the dog hair dust bunnies grow and tumble down hallways to remind us of the last time we cleaned and how long we’ve been gone.
 
It’s a place where the coffee is always exceptional, the WiFi is strong and the familiar, worn furniture bears imprints of long hours of sitting writing, watching the world go by outside the windows over the ocean and breathing deep, contented sighs. It’s where, no matter how much turmoil spins within, there is a soft blanket that whispers, “It’s going to be all right.” 
 
Home. We’re here. After a few thousand fresh kilometres on the odometer and nights of earplugs and unfamiliar beds, we unpacked the car and climbed into our soft, cozy sheets, ready to spend a blissfully quiet night in the cool breeze of an open sliding door. We’re home. And as we count down to our next adventure, one that is sure to make us appreciate our happy place even more, we couldn’t be more content. We even had a little visitor to welcome us back!
 

 

 
I’ll share trip pictures and stories tomorrow, but a few notes: we’re very happy to say that we can no longer call Molly “Eileen,” as her head tilt is completely gone. We have our pup back! Thanks to Susan and Steve (Susan was my boss at Ocean 98.5) and their two dogs, who played with and pampered our girl for the week.
 
And if you’re wondering what has happened to the audio journal, first of all, thank you for missing it! Here’s the thing: after a long and wonderful relationship with the lovely couple behind Caru pet foods, our sponsorship has come to an amicable ending and, of course, we wish them all the best.
 
But the other part of our decision is this: of the 2000-3000 readers who come daily to this journal, only about 80 were choosing to listen to it. I do believe that every listener matters, but it came down to the best use of Rob’s time (and trust me, he worked harder on it than I did). I loved doing the audio journal and it may return someday; I do miss talking to you. But for now, as travels and embracing this new life take more of our time and attention, I hope you’ll be as happy reading this daily blog as I am writing it, and Rob is posting it for you. Thank you for understanding.