Monday 29 March 2010

The home straight

Home. I fly the boys home tomorrow. There'll be playgrounds and Thai food. Lots of family. I'll be able to eavesdrop on conversations in the tube. I'll read the paper, and understand everything including which political party represents what and who the celebrities are*. I'll know what to expect when we pop round to someones house. They'll serve me tea with milk and not look like at me as if I've just stepped off a space ship.

Such an emotive word, home. It signifies so much; safety and security, comfort, acceptance. It is a place where you understand the culture and the culture understands you. It is where you have roots, where you don't have to think. It is like sliding on a well worn glove, it just fits perfectly, it is almost invisible.

Home is a difficult word for an expat. We avoided talking about England as home for a long time. We were living here, in Bosnia. It didn't make sense to refer to our Bosnian house as anything apart from home. But we are not 'at home' in Bosnia. We don't speak the language well enough, the culture isn't our culture, it isn't invisible around us, it doesn't live in our bones. We need to work at being at home in Bosnia. But whilst we were here that is what we did. We didn't want to constantly be looking back to another country. Bosnia and England are very different but we were living in Bosnia so we concentrated upon that. We loved it here. We made it our home as best we could.

Now we are going home though. Really going home. I can feel myself starting to relax already.


*that might not be true. I don't have a clue who any of the celebs are anymore. And what is this Glee thing that people keep talking about anyway?

32 comments:

Mediocre Mum said...

Have a safe trip! I'm A Canadian who has been living in UK for 11 years. I call them both home.

Take care,

Chrissie (www.mediocremum.com)

Trish said...

Looking forward to your next posts - Brit in Blighty? Are you going to keep the same blogger template? It's the same as mine so when I visit you I always feel "at home"!

MrsW said...

How exciting - my folks lived away for 10 years and didn't know who Take That were when they reformed - I suppose Take That just weren't something I thought to mention to them!

Flying will be fine - if I can manage Glasgow to Atlanta with a 4 month old and a 23 month old anyone can do it - I am not epitimosed for my patience.

London City Mum said...

Hooray! Waiting to give you big hug when we (eventually) meet up.

LCM x

Mwa said...

Oh, good luck with the move! And I hope it will all be as lovely as you hope. I have to warn you, though, not everyone on the tube speaks English, and I'm not sure even the members of the British parties are always clear what they stand for that day. You may also get offered a cappucino instead. Apart from that, you will find England mostly as you left it. :-)

Anonymous said...

Don't worry - I don't know what the hell Glee is about either!

Michelloui said...

Good luck with the move! Safe travels! And may you be blessed with quiet children if only for the duration of the flight... ;)

Alice said...

Loads of luck with the journey and getting re-settled - its amazing how 'home' can travel - with your stuff and close family x

Jen Walshaw said...

Safe journey and welcome home. Home is were the heart is!

alison said...

Safe journey home. You haven't missed anything with Glee. I hate it!

nappy valley girl said...

Well, if you understand what each political party represents you're doing better than most of us with the currrent election campaign !

Hope the journey goes as well as can be expected - and that your boys aren't too sad to leave Bosnia. x

Jean said...

Oooh yes, just in time for the general election! Have a safe journey home, and looking forward to your tales from blighty. x

Alice said...

such a nice post. I can feel your happiness :-) Life is made for adventures, but it's always nice to return home... have a safe journey x

Toni said...

Hi, Em.
I certainly will miss your news from Tuzla. We often felt like we actually missed the Tuz when we read your news. I have read every one of your posts since the beginning, and enjoyed every one. Thanks, and safe travels.

Paradise Lost In Translation said...

Was just about to email to say have a safe/uneventful trip & enjoy being 'home'. Feel free to bend my ear when the 'honeymoon' period wears off:o)
And I look forward to finally meeting you in July!

Paradise Lost In Translation said...

Was just about to email to say have a safe/uneventful trip & enjoy being 'home'. Feel free to bend my ear when the 'honeymoon' period wears off:o)
And I look forward to finally meeting you in July!

Calif Lorna said...

Safe flight home!

Hope you enjoy all the best things about it.

We're flying 'home' on Friday but it's not home any more. Home is a very complicated word!

Nappy Valley Housewife said...

Have a wonderful trip. Looking forward to your new blog once you're settled back 'home.' Take care.

Anonymous said...

Glee is completely beyond me I'm afraid - and I really did try! It's as if Friday Night Lights (on the offchance that anyone else has ever seen that) had thought it was High School Musical...

Have a safe trip :)

WeDoAdventure said...

I felt 'at home' this afternoon sitting in a plush leather seat in front of a huge cinema screen in Spilt watching 'Alice in Wonderland' in 3D - but perhaps that was something to do with its peculiarly English humour, and some great accents!

Harriet said...

Unless you're up very late doing last minute packing, you probably won't read this until you really are "home". Welcome!!! Enjoy the Thai and the baked beans and the hot cross buns (good timing on that one!) and like LCM am very much looking forward to that tea with milk soon (I've got a month in London... any chance we could fit it in before I vanish....?!)

Iota said...

Have a good trip!

ourprivateblog said...

Have a good trip back - but don't disappear - your blog won't be Brits in Bosnia anymore but I'm sure it will be just as informative/funny/intersting etc etc - and enjoy the tea!!!!

DD's Diary said...

Welcome home! And don't worry, no one recognises anyone in Hello! mag any more ....

Anonymous said...

So tha means you are here right now, as it's Tuesday. Hope you landed safely. *looks outside the window* It's still raining. Hope that does not spoil your excitement. Welcome home!

Babies who brunch said...

Good luck with it.

And Glee's on a break for a month but will be back in April. Tune in! It'll brighten your return. x

MrsVikkitoria said...

Hey Brit Back in Blighty. Hope the first few days have gone well.

Must ask. Are you missing the other "home" yet? The Bosnia one.

When I arrived back in the UK all I wanted to do was "Go Home". Weird eh?

MD xx

Dancing to Lambada said...

I haven't been blogging for a while so i've missed out on quite a lot, but i want to wish you a happy and safe trip home!! you're posts in bosnia have been a delight to read..goodluck with the move back and hope you keep writing!

Dorset Dispatches said...

Mediocre Mum - I guess there comes a point when both truely are home!

Trish - I know what you mean, I feel very comfortable in blogs with the same template!

Mrs W - That must have been some trip. I'm in awe!

LCM - I'm looking forward to it!

Mwa - we landed, it was grey, cold and raining. Ahhh I thought, England.

Mumeeeee - glad it isn't just me.

Michelloui - they were pretty good, bless them.

Alice - so true. Our house, without our stuff in it, didn't feel like home at all!

Dorset Dispatches said...

MadHouse - exactly!

Deer Baby - seems to be a love hate kind of thing. Still don't actually know what it is though.

NVG - so true! But here there are so many all with three letters and I don't have a clue who is who.

NotSuperMum - I'm scrabbling around trying to make sure that we are back on the election register in time to vote.

Alice - It is always nice to come back when the time is right.

Toni - We'll have to rely on Chris to send us the latest Tuzla gossip! Thanks for all your comments, it has been lovely to read them!


Paradise - I'll have a good old rant about why the Balkans are so much nicer pretty soon! And I'm very much looking forward to July too.

Dorset Dispatches said...

califlorna - Have a safe flight. Home is a really complex word indeed.

NVH - Still trying to decide what to call it... suggestions welcome

Hampshireflyer - Thanks. I'm not sure about the sound of Glee at all!

WDA - Split! Mostar is so much more conveniently located that Tuzla. HOpe you had a great time.

PlanB - We will have to sort it out. I will plan a trip, can't have you disappearing before I've got back!

Iota - thanks!

Kathryn - need a new blog name - any ideas?

Dulwich Divorcee - So glad it isn't just me. I had a look at the mag in the airport and didn't recognise ANYONE!

RosieScribble - we took off, it was sunny and warm. We flew over Europe, it was clear. We started our descent into Heathrow and flew into cloud, we landed it was cold, grey and raining. I nearly went straight back!

BwB - I'm going to have to watch it!

MD - a secret. I came back to England, I dropped the boys off, I'm now back in Bosnia. So I'm not missing it yet... but I am missing my chaos creators. The house is terribly quiet!

Dancing - thanks. I have a few more Bosnian orientated posts planned before I am back in England proper. And you keep blogging too, I enjoy your posts

Perfectly Happy Mum said...

Ooohh I am so excited for you! Welcome home! So much of what you describe is how I feel. There is a difference and it is that I am married to a Brit and have 2 children with him, so I feel like have 2 homes. I miss some aspects of France but I am not sure I can call it home anymore. Home is where my 3 boys are I suppose...