[Digest] Home on the way
编者按：家是港湾，家是漂泊的终点，家是千帆过尽后心灵的归宿。每个人人生的字典中都可以翻到的字便是“家”，那不必是一栋房子，一间房间，甚至你不一定可以看见它，可是它却那样真实地存在着。
对于小孩子来说，有父母的地方便是家；一对恋人，有爱的地方便是家；异乡漂泊的旅客，一声家乡口音的问候便是家；闲庭漫步的诗人，一轮明月便是家……
在靠近太阳的地方住下，掩耳不听那俗世的喧嚣，抬起头风光依旧，其实哪里都可以是家。
People need homes: children assume their parents' place as home; boarders call school "home" on weekdays; married couples work together to build new homes; and travelers … have no place to call "home", at least for a few nights.
So how about people who have to travel for extended periods of time? Don’t they have the right to a home? Of course they do.
Some regular travelers take their own belongings: like bed sheets, pillowcases and family photos to make them feel like home no matter where they are; some stay for long periods in the same hotel and as a result become very familiar with service and attendants; others may simply put some flowers by the hotel window to make things more homely. Furthermore, driving a camping car during one’s travels and sleeping in the vehicle at night is just like home -- only mobile!
And how about maintaining relationships while in transit? Some keep contact with their friends via internet; some send letters and postcards, or even photos; others may just call and say hi, just to let their friends know that they're still alive and well. People find ways to keep in touch. Making friends on the way helps travelers feel more or less at home. Backpackers in youth hostels may become very good friends, even closer than siblings.
Nowadays, fewer people are working in their local towns, so how do they develop a sense of belonging? Whenever we step out of our local boundaries, there is always another "home" waiting to be found. Wherever we are, with just a little bit of effort and imagination, we can make the place we stay "home".
Link: http://www.hxen.com/englisharticle/yingyumeiwen/
