Home sweet home.
[A two minute read]
I love travelling – for work or for fun – it’s so wonderful to experience other cultures and explore new landscapes. I’ve just returned from my first Intrepid trip through Spain, Portugal and Morocco, an incredible adventure.
As exciting as travel can be, I always love coming home. Descending back into Sydney provides perspective and gratitude for things I only think about when returning home from a trip.
It’s nice to be reminded of these little big things we can take for granted, so sharing my top 5:
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Tap water and salads
In Morocco, we had to drink bottled water, which killed my inner environmentalist. (Next time I’ll explore those filter tablets)
In so many countries, the tap water is not safe to drink, we’re very lucky to be able to pour straight from the tap in Australia.
Plus salads were off the menu incase they’re washed with tap water. How I missed salads!
Local Moroccan Markets: Look but no touch. -
Sleeping in your own bed
After sleeping in 13 different hotel beds in 3 weeks, there is nothing more divine than snuggling up in your own bed, with your favourite pillow, in your own room.
Four Seasons Casablanca: Incredible cloud-like beds but there’s no place like home. -
Ordering an Australian coffee. In English
I love learning other languages and practicing on holidays, though it is an effort.
One morning my friend congratulated me on ordering our tricky breakfast order entirely in Spanish. Then we somehow received double the food…. so my Spanish was not as ace as I thought. And Arabic is a whole other ball game.
Australia has hands down the best coffee in the world. It’s nice to order a flatwhite in English.
Portugese Tarts in Belem: the best in the land, and the best coffee I had on the trip. -
Using transport without fearing for your life
On one bus trip, we very nearly crashed 3 times in the space of 2 hours. Luckily our driver had epic driving skills and avoided all 3, but transport in some countries is an extreme sport! I enjoyed the speed of travelling from A to B, but being able to breathe in a taxi is nice too.
The camels of Marrakech were super chilled. -
The washing machine
I did more laundry than expected, each time scrambling to find coins, trying to co-ordinate a run while my clothes were in the machine, then pulling not-quite-dry clothes from the dryer, scented with the delightful smell of heavy duty laundry detergent.
One time I nearly missed our bus because my clothes were locked in a dryer whose “15 minute” cycle was actually 20+ minutes.
Gotta run for 20 more minutes until the washing is done…. in Coimbra, Portugal.
I am already thinking about my next adventure, but in the meantime, I’m content to be home sweet home.
And if it’s a while until your next trip, enjoy the perks of home for now!
