Photography

Home is Where the Heart is!

by Ingrid

Home? What does home really mean? The dictionary says – one’s place of residence, place of domicile, but I think it’s so much more than that simplistic definition.

curious neighbors in our front yard – Cherry Creek State Park, Colorado

I was fortunate to have grown up in a house that my parents owned with a nice yard, nice neighborhood, and have some very fond childhood memories as a result. Once I was no longer living under my parents roof, it wasn’t uncommon for me to still refer to that childhood house as home. I’d quite often say to my roommate, “I’m going home to spend the weekend with my folks”.

Knowing my living arrangement with that roommate was temporary, my heart continued to view my childhood residence as home. In addition to any physical house, I think many of us still view the town or state we grew up in as home.

My “home” in one of many temporary locations – Dillon Lake, CO – this was a fave!

The meaning of home

A home is more than a financial asset or physical structure. Whether you live in a big house or a little house, an apartment or a temporary house, or even a RV, home is a place where you feel that you belong … a place you enjoy sharing with friends and family … a place you connect with because your ideas or attitudes are the same as those of the people around you … a place where you can put your feet up and let out a big sigh of contentment … a place where you can relax and say, “Ah, life is good”.

RVing in Grand Tetons National Park
Another favorite … Home for a week – Grand Tetons National Park

We have a saying in the RV community – “Home is where we park it“. We travel with our houses in tow and have the freedom to change our yard and views on a whim. It’s a glorious way to live, but it’s not without its faults.

Pueblo West Colorado
The house Al and I lived in the longest and raised teenagers in  – home for 10 years.

Al and I moved into our RV on a whim over five years ago, and had every intention of living in the RV for merely a year or two … just until we found a new home base. Over the past five years, we’ve put contracts in on three different houses in various locations, and in each case, we breathed a sigh of relief when negotiations stalled. (hmm, wonder which client stuck their feet in the mud during negotiations? 😁)

Our former sticks and bricks home seen in the distance – photo swiped from our friends Facebook post this past winter. I do NOT miss those Colorado winters.

Do I miss the large custom home in southern Colorado that I designed, generaled, built, and raised my children in? … Nope! As much as I loved that house, and it was home to our family of four for ten years, once Al and I became empty nester’s that house became way too big for just the two of us. Plus, my sense of wanderlust took hold, and I was ready for a new direction, a new adventure, and a change of scenery.

The freedom of RV living is addictive, and clearly, Al and I aren’t ready to change our home scenario anytime soon. We love our RV home and our ever-changing backyard! With that said, we’ll keep looking for that home base, and when we do eventually find it, you’ll be the first to know … well, maybe second … our children should be the first!

Our home – we loved this backyard for five awesome weeks – near Lake Powell

Along with all the fabulous and varying locations we’ve enjoyed calling home over the past few years, we’ve also met some of the nicest people living this RV mobile lifestyle and made some wonderful friends along the way. Friends help provide a sense of home no matter where we’re camped.

This summer, we managed to snag a great campsite in a RV park next to fun neighbors. We adore these neighbors that we’ve lived next to for the past five months, and will be sad, yet excited, to be moving in a couple of weeks.

monsoon season in Arizona
My home for the summer of 2018. Watching storms was part of our entertainment.

And as much as we’re looking forward to the change of scenery, we’re already looking forward to returning to Prescott next summer, if for nothing else, than to harass our dear neighbors 🤣 because yes, we do intend to camp next to these very same people again next summer. Although we realize that there’s a risk they decide to change their housing situation. Run Forest, run!!!

Fairgrounds RV Park
Our home in the background and our neighbors home in the foreground – best neighbors!

Today, some places feel more like home to us than other places. The state of Colorado will always have a special place in our hearts, but it is no longer home. The meaning of the word home has taken on more of a spiritual meaning to us than that of a physical structure or place. Home is where our heart is!

Cave Creek Arizona – hot air balloons routinely flew over our home

Photo challenge – theme – prompt

For this weeks photo challenge, let’s share images of home. What does home mean to you and what does it look like? Feel free to share a link in the comments below or link back to this page on your own post. I’d love to see images of your home.

Lake Pleasant, Arizona. This place has served as home for weeks at a time

Wandering Wednesday – Ingrid’s Photo Inspirations

Each Wednesday I post a different photo prompt as a way for bloggers to share their love of photography and engage with other like minded bloggers. Perhaps this will serve as a little inspiration to pick up the camera in search of a composition or a reason to go through your photo archives. Whether you shoot with your phone, a DSLR or something in-between, don’t be shy, share and connect!

our home in the desert – boondocking in Quartzsite for a couple of weeks a few winters ago!

Next weeks photo challenge – Architecture …. get out and shoot or peruse those archives!

(affiliate links)
 Home is Where You Park It Throw Pillow
Life is Good Adirondack Mug

87 thoughts on “Home is Where the Heart is!”

  1. Hi, Ingrid! Having been away, I’m catching up on my favorite blogs and I wanted to let you know that I really enjoyed this post!

    Due to family, business obligations and personal preferences, I don’t think Alan and I will ever be full-time RVers, despite the fact that we do enjoy our extended travels immensely. We consider our travel trailer our “retirement home,” preferring the open road and changing scenery to a second home in one location. So, we think of ourselves as having two homes, but one just happens to be portable!

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  2. We no longer have an RV and were never full-timers. But I recall saying many times at the end of a day of sight-seeing, “Let’ go home” meaning let’s go back to the RV, not our official residence.

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  4. There’s NO way you leave this blog and NOT expect a reply from your nutty neighbors for the last 5 months. First off, your thoughts on this one are spot on! Home is definitely where you park it and home is more than a structure. It’s a feeling of someplace special, deep down in our souls of….this is where I belong. In the RV world….we can add “for now” to the end of that.

    On a personal note, we want to thank you and Al for five WONDERFUL months of friendship fellowship, food and festivities. You two are very special people who we are honored to call our friends and I am grateful for the laughs (it’s a clean blog, so I’ll leave out some of the specifics), memories and especially the talks off the ledge during a few difficult moments I had while you were here. Some of the late night beer stories fireside with Al were some of the most memorable I’ve had. You two are more than just friends, Heather and I consider you family and you will be missed.

    We VERY much look forward to seeing you several times throughout your absence from the Park until your arrival next year.

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    1. Awe! Thank you for such a lovely comment. We will definitely miss you guys, but since we’ll be only an hour away, I’m sure there will be some visits either in Phx or Prescott until our return to the RV park 😙

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  7. I’m with you…home is where the heart is…for the better part of my life, I called the SF Bay Area home and Rick called Syracuse his. After ten years of living in Florida and multiple visits to California and New York we have both come to the conclusion that our “home” has changed. So much of what made it “home” is different…it’s not the same place that we once knew. Most of the warm fuzzies we used to get are no longer there…with few exceptions. For Rick, it’s the places he used to go eat at…for me, it’s the climate and nature.

    I have an image of “home”…with my daughter, grandson and my best friend…in the redwoods but your blog doesn’t allow me to enter a JPEG, only a web page link. I love your photo prompt idea and would like to play! If you are interested in allowing people to post an image in the comments, this link will show you how to do it. Just sayin’! 😀 😀

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    2. Unfortunately, nothing stays the same and places that were special to us at one point in our lives, may not be the same when we revisit.
      A couple of followers have been able to share photos in the comments. I’ll need to look into the matter. Most prefer to link back to their blog and it helps bloggers discover each other which is the true intent of these kinds of posts … blog love!

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    1. Consider renting a RV for your next vacation. Most of our National Parks are loaded with Europeans in rental RV’s and most love the experience. It’s a great way to travel.

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  10. You’ve explained the meaning and feeling of home very well, Ingrid. Our homes have changed over the years as well, and each has had a mobile element to it. The freedom these kinds of lifestyles offer is immeasurable. Although, I do miss a comfy couch! 🙂

    And, what a timely post as the house I always called “home”, since the age of five, is no longer my “home”. It’s been sold and my parents moved out yesterday. Now “home” really is our Zesty, until the next adventure presents itself.

    Like you, we have been on the look-out (loosely anyway) for a decade to possibly find a place to live. We never made an offer, though. After about five years into our traveling lifestyles, we realized that the perfect place to live doesn’t exist, so we gave up this “quest”. Home is where the RV is parked, indeed! And, at the moment that’s rainy Vancouver Island. 🙂

    Where did you guys camp in the Tetons, where that photo is taken? Awesome views!

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    1. We boondocked in the national forest at the Tetons (not far from Gros Ventre CG and the Mormon Barns). I think you camped there as well. Such a beautiful spot to call ‘home’ for a few days.

      I can relate to the selling of the home you grew up in. Since my father’s passing, my sister is in the process of selling our childhood home. It’ll be strange not to have that house in our lives.

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  11. Enjoyed this discussion of the meaning of home, Ingrid. Your RV adventures qualify you for knowing a lot about the true meaning of home. As you probably remember, I was displaced from the Oct. 2017 northern California fires, still waiting to get home, and I have learned what you say is true. I always enjoy your adventurous posts and upbeat attitude.

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    1. Thank you Jet, and I’m so sorry to hear that you still haven’t moved back ‘home’. I thought for sure you would’ve returned by now. I can only imagine how trying this past year has been for you and Athena. Adventure comes in many forms, huh!

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  13. I agree that wanderlust is like a virus that runs through the veins and once it takes hold it’s hard to get rid of. I loved your story about ‘home’, and as a serial expat I really relate to it. But ours is the curse of gypsy blood and we are doomed (or fortunate!) to wander. Thanks for popping over to my blog earlier – appreciated 🙂 #MLSTL

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    1. I now can relate to why you enjoy returning to Yuma … friends. Those relationships help formulate that sense of “home” and as much as I enjoy the wheels rolling, I’m embracing the slower pace and setting down temporary roots.

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    1. Do you have a favorite house or place? I’ve moved around a lot as well, and my favorite house wasn’t necessarily located in my favorite place 😎

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  16. Nice post! And lovely photos. We are currently enjoying being in our home away from home this week while a relative is enjoying our sticks and bricks house. We love our new place and being where we see our grandson regularly. But we adore our time in our tiny home on the road too. Our hearts are in Colorado but favorite places beckon us away often. Good thing we’re able to do both! 😀

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    1. Colorado is a wonderful place to call ‘home’ and if our children hadn’t moved away, we’d still be there. To me, part-time RVing is the best and I look forward to the day I find that home base.

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      1. Getting our first taste of winter approaching. We will actually have to winterize the rv this year. We enjoyed a lovely week at St Vrain State Park, but home now until we head to Tucson next Spring. We will be shortening our trip by a month because we just found out we’ll be grandparents again. May need a bigger rv in a few years when the grandkids tag along!

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          1. Thanks! We had site 49 this time. Site 70 is the best! As far from I-25 as you can get with full hookups. The park was full the entire time we were there. Even Fall in Colorado at popular parks requires advanced planning anymore.

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  17. Totally understand your feeling of wanderlust and now confusion on where you might want to live again permanently someday. We are coming up in 2 full years of fulltiming in our RV and on our boat. So far we are not missing our house either and for the life of us don’t have any idea where we want to live when we grown up! We feel so carefree…like being in college again except now we actually have money to do all the fun things we want to do!!!

    Safe travels…

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    1. Switching between land and water like you guys do sounds ideal to me. During our five weeks in Page, AZ, Al and I were talking boats again. Although, realistically, we’ll probably stick to renting a boat for a day 🤣 Enjoy your carefree living, and if you find yourselves passing through Phoenix this winter, be sure and let us know.

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    1. My husband thinks the minute we commit to a sticks and bricks, I’ll get antsy to move on after 6 months which is why he’s not to eager to settle down. All in time, I guess. You have a beautiful continent to explore – enjoy!

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    1. Arizona is starting to feel more and more like ‘home’. First off, our children are here, but secondly, we’ve developed some wonderful friendships here. And then there are the places we love returning to along with so much more to explore 😊

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  23. Great post! Yes, home is where the heart is. For both Cho and I, home is divided between here and the other half on the opposite side of the world. Thanks for sharing the photos. Lovely!

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  24. Love the post with information and photos. Yes, we’ve pondered full-time RV but don’t want to sell or rent our house. I’m even challenged with part-time RVing. It seems like things always break. I hope to be in Colorado soon so we’ll enjoy the beauty as well – without the RV. 🙂

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    1. Unfortunately, these RV’s do seem to break and need regular maintenance. Fortunately, my husband and I are very handy and can handle most repairs ourselves. Enjoy Colorado … it’s a stunningly beautiful place!

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  26. Hi Ingrid,
    I’ve been following your posts for awhile now and very much enjoy your thoughts, photography and your recent weekly themes. Thank you! This week’s “home” theme made me smile. Four years ago my husband and I moved from CO to the PNW on a whim and love it but are now in our final week of moving from the lovely 1900 sf house that we sold and into a 650 sf rental cottage. This is in preparation for going full time rv-ing next year. We thought we had downsized a lot but as we cram into the cottage we have more to go…. literally! 🙂 It is a great 9 month transition as we continue to prepare to find our new home on the road. Our home truly is wherever we are!

    “See you again” next Wednesday!

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    1. Thanks for following along – hope you’ll join in sometime! Downsizing can be so overwhelming. Best wishes with your transition and I look forward to following your journey (hope you post about it).

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    1. I’ve been spoiled with the views I’ve had these past five years, and therefore can’t find a sticks and bricks I can live with … gotta have a view from my patio. I do believe this RVing life has ruined me and my chances of finding an acceptable ‘home base’ 😆

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            1. Ah yes, absolutely, and I think we’re just about there 😃 Now if only I could figure out how to unload all that stuff I have in storage back in Colorado. Wouldn’t do overs be wonderful?

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  29. Nice post – I agree. Home has different meanings to different people and I’m glad you touched on it. I’m 40(ish) and still do not really call any house “home”. My wife I’m sure would be upset with my saying that, however, I’m just not “home” where we are. There is a calling to be somewhere else, yet I am fairly certain I may never find that place. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. I can totally relate to how you feel which is why I think I’ve always been antsy to move. I’m only okay in a house for about four years, and then I’m ready for something else. Ah, the constant quest!

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    1. When we lived in IL, we had an acre of land with grass that needed mowing every weekend and would take hours. When we designed the landscaping on our acre in CO, we decided Xeriscape was the way to go, and we loved it.
      We definitely got lucky with our neighbors here in the park this summer!

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  31. How well I recall the sense of relief when almost everything I owned was shucked in the great down sizing. Due to being Canadian and having to be in the north for 6 months a year and that being winter spring and fall, we ended up buying a house. The main reason we bought the house was because of the big driveway for the travel trailer. The house is tiny, exactly twice the square footage of the travel trailer. It felt so big and spacious when we moved in and it still suits us just fine. And it’s out in the country miles from nowhere just like our favourite camping spots. It was below zero last night and I’m getting the itch to go south again.

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    1. Brrr, fall is definitely in the air for you. I remember that Canadian weather well as we used to vacation in western Ontario regularly. Yep, time to follow the geese south 😄 I would love to find a property like yours. Our problem is, we can’t seem to decide where. Oh well, one day it’ll be clear, but in the meantime, we’re still content in the RV and meandering around.

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  32. Lovely article and I enjoyed reading about your experiences.You describe your RV home with such passion. Yes, home is definitely where the heart it!

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    1. Living in the RV has given me opportunities and experiences that I never would’ve been privy to had I stayed in the sticks and bricks in CO. Life is an adventure!

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  33. Loving your post today 🙂 We went through a challenging time back in 2012/2013 with the mortgage crisis in selling our house. Throughout that process I learned a major life lesson that my home is where my mister man is and that is what matters the most when we support and love each other through the good, the bad and even the ugly, nasty, crazy, chaos. Happy Day – Enjoy!

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    1. I can totally relate to your challenging time in the housing industry … been there, done that, bought the t-shirt! I too learned, home is with loved ones. Thanks for sharing.

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