{"id":23966,"date":"2014-02-03T11:59:38","date_gmt":"2014-02-03T16:59:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nomadicmatt.com\/?p=23966"},"modified":"2024-09-13T11:00:18","modified_gmt":"2024-09-13T15:00:18","slug":"place-called-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nomadicmatt.com\/travel-blogs\/place-called-home\/","title":{"rendered":"That Place Called Home"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Bangkok'sOriginally Posted:<\/strong> 02\/03\/2014<\/p>\n

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport!”<\/p>\n

These were words I hadn’t heard spoken in two years. And they’d been sorely missed. After landing in Bangkok, I glided effortlessly through an airport where I’ve been countless times and made my way to the train into the city. It was a routine I followed without thinking, and I easily made my way to my hotel (I used points to stay for free at the new W Hotel,\u00a0one of the nicest W hotels I’ve ever stayed at, but that’s a different story<\/a>). After check-in, I dropped my bag and headed\u00a0to the nearby street market, ordering sorely missed pork noodle soup and Thai lemon tea. (Tip: if you’re looking for a market in Thailand, find an office area. Where there are hungry office workers, there is great street food.)<\/p>\n

The sights, sounds, and smells had a comforting familiarity to them. After a long flight from San Francisco, I felt at home.<\/p>\n

And as I sit here staring out across the city, I ponder what that word “home” really means. Is it a place or a state of mind? A feeling? Can you have more than one home? Is it where you live? Grow up? Own property?<\/p>\n

To me, a home is where your heart feels most comfortable. It’s a place you step into with ease, and your heart says, “Yes, this is it” and wraps that place around itself like a warm, cozy blanket. A house is simply a physical structure filled with stuff, but a home…that’s where you know you belong.<\/p>\n

For me, that’s Paris, Stockholm, New York, Hong Kong, Amsterdam, and Bangkok<\/a>. There are many other destinations that I love and return to often, but they aren’t home. My heart doesn’t belong in them. They’re lovely to visit, but I wouldn’t want to grow old there. However, put me in any of those destinations listed above and I’d happily stay there until my dying day.<\/p>\n

Traveling has taught me that the word “home” transcends a physical place. As I’ve traveled the world, I’ve learned I fit into many places. This has given me insight into people and the rhythm of life. There’s a certain universality to life around the world. I think that’s why so often we can easily and (sometimes) accurately compare cities. It’s taught me that the grass is never greener<\/a> because at its core, the grass is always the same.<\/p>\n

And no city crystallizes this better for me than Bangkok. It was where I first really stopped and lived<\/a>. It was a place where I built a whole life and got a job, friends, a girlfriend, and a routine. I came here a stranger, not speaking the language and knowing only one person, and I left with a life.<\/p>\n

I learned to survive.<\/p>\n

I grew up.<\/p>\n

Learning that home can be so many places made the world a lot smaller to me. It’s no longer the idea that there is “my home” and “other places in the world” because the world is<\/em> my home.<\/p>\n

I know that might come off as a bit “out there,” but when you can move so easily and feel at ease in so many places, it makes the world a bit smaller, less foreign, and a lot less scary.<\/p>\n

But no matter where I go, what I do, or how long I’m gone, Bangkok will always be home to me.<\/p>\n

That’s why I’ll never stop getting emotional when I hear those eight magical words: “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport.”<\/p>\n

Travel is a wonderful experience, but sometimes there’s nothing more wonderful than coming home.<\/p>\n

 
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Book Your Trip to Bangkok: Logistical Tips and Tricks<\/h4>\n

Book Your Flight<\/strong>
\nUse Skyscanner<\/a> to find a cheap flight. They are my favorite search engine because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned.<\/p>\n

Book Your Accommodation<\/strong>
\nYou can book your hostel with Hostelworld<\/a> as they have the biggest inventory and best deals. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com<\/a> as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels.<\/p>\n

For a list of my favorite hostels in the city, check out this post<\/a>. If you prefer hotels, this post has my favorites<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And, for a list of my favorite neighborhoods in the city, you can read this post<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance<\/strong>
\nTravel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:<\/p>\n