"Going Home" Guest Post: Sarah from Redesigning Sarah

I am very lucky to have so many friends helping me keep the blog going while I am out east - I hope you are enjoying them as much as I am!  Today the VERY sweet Sarah of ReDesigning Sarah is giving us her take on what it means to go home.  Sarah is one of those gals that I chatted regularly with online and was so happy to meet at Blog Podium, where she was just as lovely and funny in person as on Twitter!

Thank you so much Lisa for having me share my thoughts of what "Going Home" means to me. When Lisa wrote her post about Going Home to New Brunswick it struck a chord with me. It really got me thinking about what "Going Home" means.

I grew up in Toronto where I took the subway to school and walked everywhere. We moved out of the city to the big, bad (well, not really so bad) suburbs four years ago and I still self-identify as being from Toronto when anyone asks. But is Toronto home or just where I grew up? Why am I so nostalgic for the YYZ? Here's a flavour of what makes me smile when I am thinking of Toronto ...

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I used to travel more than I do now and I remember flying into Toronto and feeling the mix of comfort and excitement as the plane circled the city before landing.

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The subway. Yep, the good 'ol TTC makes me nostalgic for where I grew up. There is something about the noise, the door chimes and the musty damp smell. Weird - perhaps. But familiar. Although the automated voice announcing the stops is kinda lame. I liked it better when the conductors could put their own spin on things with announcements.

One of the things I am passionate about is making sure my kids know their way around public transit. Several times a year we head downtown on a combination of the VIVA bus, the subway or GO Train. Sure it takes longer but it's an adventure in reading maps, transferring stations, figuring out which platform to go to and consulting schedules. And I make 'em walk too (I love walking!).

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Trees. Toronto has fantastic trees that create canopies in the summer and colourful collages in the fall. I grew up on a street with tons of trees and played in parks that were full of greenery.

Fortunately for me when I moved to the burbs I didn't move to a neighbourhood that looked like this:

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My current street has all the features I love about Toronto trees - big, leafy and gorgeous!

At the end of the day home is where the people you love are. I'm lucky to be raising my little family in such a special place. And I'm lucky that I can walk them to school like this ... that's what going home is now for me.

What a great shot Sarah - I love it.  You hit on so many of the things I love about Toronto, especially all those big tree-lined streets. It really is such a green city, I always marvel at how lucky we are. I'm glad you get to enjoy it in your new home! Thanks so much for your post. :)

If you missed them, here are the other posts in this series: 

my original post,

Barbara from Hodge:Podge, and

Kerry from First Time Fancy.

A Trip to Fundy National Park in Photos

I love Fundy National Park.

Beautiful Artsy White Home

You all know of my massive love for white decor, it always seems to clean, so fresh, so light and airy.  I don't think of it as particularly funky or artsy, but this London home featured on Desire to Inspire has that vibe for me - probably because their art collection is outstanding and works so beautifully with the calm neutral palette.  I know many of you consider white interiors to be cold and lifeless, does this place change your mind?

There are more beautiful photos over on Desire to Inspire - plus many more inspiring (obviously) homes.

"Going Home" Guest Post: Kerry from First Time Fancy

While I am enjoying my time home in New Brunswick, I have had the pleasure of sharing a few guest posts from a few of my favourite bloggers.  I knew Kerry from First Time Fancy would have a great perspective on the idea of going home, having just relocated out west.  We were sad to see her go, but what an amazing place to move to - and then there's the fun of having a whole new house to redo! :)

Hi there Wicked & Weird readers! I'm Kerry from First Time Fancy, and I'm so happy to be filling in for Lisa today. Lisa has to be one of the friendliest and most welcoming people I've ever met, so I was more than happy to step up and help her out! When she mentioned the topic of "Going Home" and what that meant to me, I was instantly inspired. Back in April, we uprooted our tiny family and moved from Toronto to the Greater Vancouver Area. It was a big move, and has made "Going Home" mean multiple things to me. Just recently, on a flight from Vancouver to Toronto another passenger asked me if I was headed home or for a visit. I thought about it for a second and then replied, "I guess a little of both", and I honestly think that is the best answer I could have possibly given her. I may no longer live in the GTA, but it will always feel like home for me. From the streets of Toronto's concrete jungle, to my parents small suburban neighbourhood, this is where I grew up and this is the place that shaped me. 

{via pinterest}

I think the only way I could possibly explain this feeling, is the feeling of familiarity I have when I am on the streets of the city. Despite growing up outside of the city, my parents never passed up an opportunity to bring us to different outings and events downtown. As a child, the streets of Toronto intimidated and intrigued me, as a teenager they challenged and invited me and when I moved there as an adult, they embraced me. The hustle and bustle of Toronto, with no shortage of places to explore, I have always loved the city. 

My other half, who is from Boston, told me recently that when he returns it doesn't really feel like home to him anymore. For myself, I can't imagine that Toronto will ever feel like anything other than home. They say Home is Where Your Heart is, and my heart truly does reside in this concrete jungle.

{Rumspringa via pinterest}

Of course, my heart is being pulled in two directions, and I couldn't be more okay with that. Ever since moving to British Columbia, it feels more and more like home by the day. We're slowly filling our new space with pieces that we have transformed ourselves, pieces from our old home, images of our tiny family, and other things that we love. 

If I have learned one thing in these short 4 months since we moved, it is that "Home" is not just the bricks and motor in which we reside. It's not only the pieces that we choose to surround ourselves with. It's largely about the people that we share our space and our life with. It's the people we love and cherish, and the people who hold you up and make you smile when you feel that you can't go on. For me, "Home" truly is wherever these two are...

So, for me, "Going Home" works both ways. Whether I am flying to Toronto or Vancouver, I always feel that I am headed to a place that I call Home. I must say, I feel pretty lucky to have a place I consider home, in two cities that I love very much. 

Thank you Lisa - for asking me to visit, but also for forcing me to really think about "going home". I hope that you have enjoyed your time back home!

Thank you so much Kerry - you are so right that home is more about the people you are with than the things surrounding you.  And little cuties can certainly make any place feel like home!  I can't wait to see how my other guests describe their version of going home.  Barb's post is here if you haven't seen it, and mine is here.  I am learning so much about you guys!

"Wanderer" photographic prints from Valerie Rubinaccio

Do you guys get emails from Uncovet?  (This is totally unsponsored but if you sign up for emails via my link I think I get some kind of credit...)  Anyway, they have some cool stuff on there, including these "Wanderer" prints from Valerie Rubinaccio.  I went over to explore her etsy page and she also makes some beautiful jewellery.  These prints have to be my favourite though.  The combination of the pleasing shapes with the light in the photos is really beautiful.  It makes me want to break out the photoshop!