March 22, 2010

That home is where the heart is gives cause for reflection when one’s heart is in more than one place. Tomorrow I am heading back to Australia for my first visit to my home country in four years. Living an expatriate life creates some interesting concepts in regard to where ‘home’ is.

While Australia will always be the place I am from, and a country I have enormous respect and affection for, I do not believe that home must be a place. Home for me is a state of mind. There is a line that I read in a brilliant novel called ‘White Oleander,’ where the mother told her daughter amidst their nomadic lifestyle, that ‘home is where I am.’ This really resonated with me, as for the last 12 years I have made various countries my home- some for longer than others. I guess this statement is a variation on ‘home is where the heart is.’ For me these days that means anyplace my husband, Ian, my children and I find ourselves together can be home.

As I prepare for a trip to my country of origin, I look forward to spending time in the place that was home to me for the first twenty-something years of my life. It was my home because I resided there physically, but even more so because the people I loved were with me there.

One situation that faces those of us living abroad is the sensation at times of being torn. Not necessarily by a longing to be in two locations at once, but by the fact that we are often far away from members of our families of origin. A feeling that if home is where the heart is, then home truly must be in more than one place.

My sister Lisa is getting married, and that is the purpose of my trip back to Australia. I am so excited about this momentous occasion, and thrilled that I can be with her to share it.

I don’t feel that the physical distance creates any real feeling of separation between Lisa and I. We are in constant contact, and when we see each other, it feels like we were never apart. However, I do wish for the physical togetherness as well. To be able to sit and talk face to face, and to play with my nieces and nephew on a regular basis. A big part of my heart is with her and her beautiful children, and for this reason I contemplate that maybe, in the not-too-distant future, I would like to move back to my home country.

It is not so much because I miss the place. I love Australia, but I also love my adopted homeland of Taiwan, and the challenge and adventure of life abroad. It is because I hope to try and make my home in a place where most of the parts of my heart can be brought together physically. Where I could say that my home is where the heart is- both in soul and in body.

That being said though, I don’t believe physical proximity is always needed to be close to those we love. My loved ones are in my heart, no matter how far apart we are. In the case of my mother, we are physically separated by death, but she is vividly present in my heart every day.

I am travelling alone to Australia, and I have mixed feelings about that too. I will miss my kids and Ian enormously, but I am thrilled that I will have an opportunity to spend time with Lisa and her kids, as well as my only aunt. In my daily life, it is Ian and my kids who are physically present, and the rest of my family who are present only in my heart and mind. For the days ahead, this situation will be reversed.

Home is where the heart is. I am going home to Australia, and after my time there, I will be returning home to Taiwan. My heart is in both places, with the people I love, and I am proud to call both places home.

Living Abroad Can Be an Amazing Life Choice

Living abroad is one of the most amazing ways to broaden your mind and experience the wider world. I love the fact that by living in different places, every day is an adventure, and every day I learn something new.

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