Where is Home?

My GPS on my phone is really confused these days. It doesn’t know where my home is. When I get into my car sometimes it tells me I have fifteen minutes to get home, but that is where I lived last month. Sometimes it tells me I have twenty minutes to get home, but that is where I lived last week. 

The fact is I have lived in a lot of homes since September of 2021 when the call was put on my heart to sell the majority of my belongings and begin my journey into the unknown with God embracing uncerainty as the theme of my life.

Priceless Wisdom

The wisdom I have gained on this journey is priceless. There have been many ups and downs along the way. It hasn’t always been easy not knowing where I am going to lay my head down at night from month to month and sometimes even from day to day.

Usually the first night in my new accommodations is spent lying awake trying to remember where I am. Important questions come up like, where is the bathroom? What city am I in? How did I end up here? I have a couple of scars on my shins from not knowing where the bedposts were.

I have stayed in a beautiful mansion where I was able to walk in the neighborhood and see the fireworks display from Disney World. I would stop and find myself in awe of the magical display of electricity in the evening air.

I have stayed in an Airbnb where I couldn’t burn enough incense and light enough candles to get the smell of must and old stained carpets out of the house. It was filthy with mold on the windows that looked like it didn’t have a deep clean in a decade.

I have stayed in neighborhoods with shuttered windows and foreclosed houses.

My recent adventure had me fending off two pitbulls that got loose from a house that were attacking my dog, Oakley. As I was picking up Oakley to prevent her from being mauled, I got bit by one of the dogs. Fortunately, Oakley came away unscathed and my hand is healing from the puncture wound.

Creating Connection

I have met many amazing people along the way that I never would have met otherwise. Everyone brought a blessing into my life as I know me and Oakley were able to bring blessings into their lives.

Here is what one of the hosts wrote about my stay at their house. “Troy and Oakley were such wonderful guests. We are grateful for their visit. P.S. We really like Troy, but we definitely fell in love with Oakley.” As you can see, it’s all about Oakley. 

I had two people tell me recently that Oakley needs to be a therapy dog. She has definitely been that for me. At one of the places we stayed she bonded with one of the hosts. Oakley would not leave his side. As it turns out, he was going through physical and emotional pain and she could sense it. As I am a highly sensitive person, Oakley is a highly sensitive dog.

Here are all of the places I have stayed since I left Boulder, Colorado in September 2001.

Clifton, CO

Santa Fe, NM

Longmont, CO

Castle Rock, CO

Deerfield Beach, FL

Jacksonville, FL

Ponte Vedra Beach, Fl

Fort Collins, CO

Orlando, FL

Casselberry, FL

Winter Garden, FL

Winter Park, FL

College Park, FL

I have learned many things through all of the travel and uncertainty over the past two and a half years.

Learning Contentment

First and foremost, I am learning to be content no matter what my living situation is. Home is where my heart is. It’s wherever I lay my head down at night. Where I live is wherever I am at in the present moment.

There are parts of me that love the freedom to move from place to place exploring new areas and meeting new people.

And there is a side of me that wants to settle down and have a nice, simple home with a fenced in backyard where I can let Oakley run around and play.

I am learning to embrace the unknown not knowing what my future holds, not knowing where I am going to live and if that includes something more permanent. I am staying open to all possibilities. 

I have always been someone who values structure and routine in my life. I still do, but I am allowing my life to flow letting Spirit lead the way. It has all been part of my journey to the ultimate, which is completely letting go and surrendering to the Divine, knowing Its plans are greater than my plans will ever be.

Gratitude is Always the Key

I am extremely grateful for every experience I have had on my journey as it is bringing me back to the truth of who I am, yes, even the dog bite.

It has been a journey of Self-discovery being true to my soul. I am grateful that every night I get to take a hot shower and have a warm bed to sleep in. Not everybody has that luxury, something that is easy to take for granted.

I will leave you with a poem I wrote when I was contemplating where my home was. 

It’s not about the outward journey, it’s about the inward journey that brings us back home to our true Selves. Our home is where our heart and soul is. Our home is where love is.

Where is Home?

Where do you live you ask?

Everywhere and nowhere is my response.

Wherever I lay my head is my home.

My home is in my heart.

My home is in my consciousness.

Even when I don’t have a home, I am in my Father’s house.

That is my true home.

It’s a home filled with peace.

It’s a home filled with grace.

It’s a home filled with love.

I have lived in many homes in my life, but they never felt like my true home.

I wasn’t in my Father’s house back then.

My home was filled with sadness and despair.

The home I live in now, there are no opposites.

Just One.

I don’t need a physical address to be home.

I only need to realize there is One home and I am always home.

I have learned to be content no matter what my external home looks like.

My internal home is the most beautiful of all.

The only thing it costs me is to let go of my life.

Then I am infused with the one true Life.