#83 Go where your heart feels full

Happy Sunday,

It’s good to be back! I hope you’ve had a great summer.

Before I begin; many of you will have noticed a change in tone in the last few editions. I was grieving multiple losses, and this necessitated the extended break.

Today's post is a direct excerpt from my journal, penned on the first day of my summer holiday in late July. It wasn't initially intended for Plane Thoughts, and as this edition is a bit unconventional, I begin with the implementation idea:

Spend as much time in the place(s) where your heart feels full.

Note: I originally wrote this in Spanish. For Spanish readers, I recommend scrolling down to the bottom. While I've done my best to translate it closely, I believe the sentiment is better captured in the Spanish version.

Benicassim, Spain

Returning home

There is nothing like returning home.

Being the first off the plane and feeling the embrace of warmth and humidity that welcomes you. Your uncle is waiting for you, reminding you that there are people who have always been and will always be there for you. Getting held up going up to the apartment because you meet a neighbour at the entrance; the neighbours have known you since you were a baby, and they will always remind you of that. Your grandfather's smile when he opens the door for you. Going down to the supermarket for the first napolitana and an iced coffee and in five minutes seeing five people you know; the word of the day will be reunions. Having breakfast with your grandfather and having him tell you things about the town as if you were a newly arrived tourist, when you know very well that there is not a single corner of this place that you don’t already know; you will never use maps here because you have had the map inscribed on the palm of your hand since you were a child. Looking out from the balcony and knowing, by the parking spaces below, if your friends' parents are already there. Walking down the two hundred meters to the beach while you smell the flowers and hear the sea, and finally see the palm trees and the beach.

They tell you that your facial expression has already changed, and that doesn't surprise you; you grew up on the beach, the beach is part of you.

The first swim that begins the process of curing your wounds and healing your soul. Lying in the sun and falling asleep. The first tinto de verano at the beach bar. The first swim in the pool while the table is being set. Laughing while they complain about how late it is to start eating, knowing that this will be the norm this summer, like all the previous ones. Laughing even more when some people worry that there still aren’t dinner reservations for the weekend; you live for the street atmosphere and the hustle and bustle. You don't care what you have for dinner, what matters to you is the connection with the people around you. Starting to write this while the siesteros dream, appreciating the calm and the views of nature from the balcony. Going out to dinner and seeing that your friends are, as always, at the same bar, at the same table. Dining with a view of the moon reflected in the sea. Feeling awe at seeing the stars. Even if your feet stick out of the bed, sleeping more deeply than you have in months.

Some people make fun of you, and even criticise you for coming back here so often, for not exploring other cities in this country.

You want to see the whole world, you spend your life travelling, and you have the resources to go wherever you want, whenever you want. That you still voluntarily choose to return to the same place means this holiday has a much deeper meaning.

They don't understand you, but you must be thankful that they are tremendously lucky that they don’t understand. This is not repeating a trip to a familiar place; this is returning home. If someone has always started and ended their day at home, it is difficult to really understand and feel the phrase "home is where the heart is." One's true home is the place where one's heart is filled with joy just by simply being there. And that is not always one's house, city, or even country in which one resides. 

What is paradise? I can instantly prepare a list of luxurious places around the world that I have visited and of the best hotels I have stayed in. But this here is true paradise: being connected to nature, feeling the sand between your feet, being with loved ones, not knowing the time of day or the day of the week, and not having the slightest need for screens or social media.

The true luxuries in this life are not material possessions. The beauty of this world is only truly appreciated when you activate all five senses. We complicate our lives seeking success, thinking that accumulation and abundance will fulfil us, but the wise know that simplicity brings true happiness.

That's why you return home.

— AJ

Volviendo a casa

No hay nada como volver a casa.

Bajar del avión el primero y sentir el abrazo de calor y humedad que te da la bienvenida. Tu tío te espera, recordándote que hay personas que siempre han estado, y siempre estarán ahí para ti. Tardar en subir a casa por encontrarte con una vecina en el portal; los vecinos te conocen desde bebé, y siempre te lo recordarán. La sonrisa de tu abuelo al abrirte la puerta. Bajar al súper a por la primera napolitana y un café frio y en cinco minutos ver a cinco conocidos; la palabra del día será reencuentros. Desayunar con tu abuelo y que te cuente cosas sobre el pueblo como si fueras un turista recién llegado, cuando bien sabes que no hay ni un solo rincón que no conozcas; jamás usarás mapas aquí porque el mapa lo tienes inscrito en la palma de tu mano desde niño. Asomarte al balcón y saber, por las plazas de coches, si ya están los padres de tus amigos. Bajar los doscientos metros de callejón hasta la playa mientras hueles las flores y oyes el mar, y finalmente ver las palmeras y la playa.

Te dicen que ya se te ha cambiado la cara, y eso no te sorprende; te criaste en la playa, la playa forma parte de ti.

El primer baño que empieza el proceso de curarte las heridas y sanarte el alma. Tumbarte al sol y quedarte dormido. El primer tinto de verano en el chiringuito de la playa. El primer baño en la piscina mientras se pone la mesa. Reírte mientras se quejan sobre las horas de empezar a comer, sabiendo que esto será lo habitual este verano, como todos los anteriores. Reírte aún más cuando se preocupan algunos de que todavía no se han hecho reservas para cenar durante el finde; tú vives para el ambiente callejero y el follón. Te da igual lo que se cena, lo que te importa es conexión las personas al tu alrededor. Empezar a escribir esto mientras los siesteros sueñan, apreciando la calma y las vistas de la naturaleza desde la terraza. Salir a cenar y ver que los amigos están en el bar de siempre, en la mesa de siempre. Cenar frente la luna reflejada en el mar. Sentir asombro al ver las estrellas. Aunque te salgan los pies de la cama, dormir más profundamente que en meses.

Algunos se burlan de ti, e incluso te critican por volver aquí tan a menudo, por no conocer otras ciudades de este país.

Tú quieres conocer todo el mundo, pasas la vida viajando y tienes los recursos para ir a donde quieras, cuando quieras. Que aun así elijas voluntariamente volver al mismo sitio significa que estas vacaciones tienen un significado mucho más profundo.

No te entienden, pero hay que agradecer que ellos tienen la tremenda suerte de no entenderlo. Esto no es repetir un viaje a un lugar conocido; esto es regresar a casa. Si alguien siempre ha empezado y terminado su día en su hogar, es difícil realmente entender y sentir la frase "el hogar es donde está el corazón". El verdadero hogar de uno es el lugar donde se le llena el corazón simplemente estando ahí. Y eso no es siempre la casa, ni la cuidad ni el país en que uno reside.

¿Qué es un paraíso? Puedo preparar en un instante una lista de sitios lujosos por todo el mundo que he conocido, de los mejores hoteles en los que me he alojado. Pero esto aquí es un auténtico paraíso: estar conectado a la naturaleza, sentir la arena entre los pies, estar con seres queridos, no saber ni la hora del dia ni el dia de la semana, y no tener la más mimina necesidad de pantallas ni redes.

Los verdaderos lujos en esta vida no son las posesiones materiales. La belleza de este mundo solo se aprecia auténticamente cuando activas los cinco sentidos. Nos complicamos la vida buscando el éxito, pensando que acumular y aumentar nos llenará, pero los sabios saben que la simplicidad trae la felicidad.

Por eso vuelves a casa.

— AJ

On my bedside table:

📖 Non-fiction: Rewire by Nicole Vignola - My good friend Nicole, better known as @nicoleneuroscience published her first book, and I couldn't be prouder.

💬 Quote: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” - Chinese proverb

Comments, questions, disagreements? Hit reply to reach out to me directly.

If you enjoy this content and know someone who would benefit from this newsletter, please forward it or copy and paste this link: planethoughts/beehiiv.com/subscribe 

Thank you!