Home is where my slippers are

It’s GO time and I’m excited. I’m writing this at the international airport in Amsterdam just a few hours before boarding the first plane to my destination. It’s going to be one stop in Singapore and then straight to Melbourne. While sipping my lime and mint tea (from my all-time best travel friend, the yellow cup), I’m thinking about how very glad I am I grew out of the “rather cheap than comfortable” phase in my life and decided to pay a little extra for the fastest available route with the least possible stopovers. So, if all goes well, in under 24 hours I will arrive at my destination, my beloved Australia.

In the corner of my eye a girl in a polka dot dress is sipping her frappuccino and there’s a couple sitting behind me, both on their phone. You might have guessed it, but I’m at the Airport’s Starbucks. It’s quite literally one of my favorite places on earth. At least whilst at the airport, not in general of course. Although, if I must choose between working for a boss in an office at the same location forever and working freelance from an airport Starbucks forever, I will always choose the Airport Starbucks. Hands down.

Anyways, this doesn’t really explain the title of my post just yet. You might have noticed I find joy and comfort in a lot of things, as long as they don’t mean cutting back on my freedom to move around. The thought of owning a house in a town with a husband and a dog is not what gets me out of my bed in the morning. It’s the thought of consistently seeking out the unknown that excites me the most. Though, the thought of not being able to own care of a dog in this situation, does make me a little sad sometimes, but it’s the sacrifice I made for now and luckily, I can still enjoy my friend’s and family’s pets whenever I am around them. It’s not always rainbow and laughter choosing this lifestyle. There is discomfort and sadness at times too. I am just going for full honesty here. It’s still the life I prefer for now.

Does this mean I don’t like the comfort of a house with my own furniture and a closet full of my clothes and most importantly, a toilet I can just go without any mental blockages? Of course, it doesn’t. I’m not an alien (or am I?). I do find comfort in a place I can make my home, even if it’s just for a little while. All I need to feel at home in this scenario though, is to always have a few specific items in my bag. And this is where the slippers come in.

Over the past few years, I started to create routines in my life. I started noticing recurring things I packed for trips and mostly, missing certain things I decided not to pack in the end because they didn’t make “the final cut” for whatever reason. I also started noticing the things I always ended up bringing along and not using. Here’s a list of things I brought and never used and a list of things I wish I brought for many of my trips:

I think you get the point I’m trying to make. It took me a while before I learnt it is worth leaving some extra space for “boring” things like comfy wear and slippers rather than games that are never played, books that are never read and nail polish that was never used.

Hardly ever used	Wish I brought
Books Notebooks (actually, now I do have one journal I religiously write in, and bring along on my trips, but the 20 trips before that, the notebook came back as empty as I brought it) Games Nail polish Hair straightener An Xth pair of shoes More books	Laptop Soft warm sweater Soft warm socks Plastic bag for dirty clothes Travel pillow (long flights only) Nail polish remover (for the nail polish I did always bring but ended up not using because I didn’t bring the nail polish remover) Sunscreen MY COMFY BLACK SLIPPERS

THE comfy black slippers on the plane 🩴

My slippers now go with me wherever I go and it’s the most comforting feeling I can ever get settling into a new place. Whether it’s temporary or long term, it’s what makes me feel at ease and therefore at home. The rest in the list on the right always come with me as well, except for the nail polish and remover. I just occasionally have my toenails done. That’s the comfort in life I don’t mind paying a little extra for to be fair. And as for the books: I am now a proud owner of an e-reader, so I can bring all the books I want without having to cut back on luggage space. And if I want the feel of a real-life book in my hands, that’s what the free bookshelves are for.

I invite you to think about the items you put on the left and the right side of this list yourself. From now on, you will hopefully pack for a trip with a lot more logic and bring the comfort of home wherever you go.

You’re welcome!

Xoxo Domi