“You mean, he chose to be homeless?” my bewildered friend’s young daughter exclaimed. My friend shared that he was envious and had himself occasionally entertained the idea of downsizing and putting the rest of his belongings in storage as I had done to go on an extended trip and live more carefree. However, most of my friends and others I came across during my travels confided that they wouldn’t be comfortable giving up the security of their home. They felt a need to have a place to go back to.

That got me thinking. What is security? What is home? Must I have a physical home to feel secure? One of the first things I needed to let go of when planning my Vagabond Adventure was the notion of having a physical home to come back to.

What I’ve intuitively learned over the years through various life experiences, therapy, and coaching is that true security resides within. I guess a part of me wanted to test that theory on some level. What was really driving me was the opportunity for a grand adventure, (re)connect with friends and family I hadn’t seen in awhile, and experiment with a new way to integrate work and life.

What I realized when trying to conjure a response to my friend’s daughter was this:

Home is wherever I happen to be at the moment.

Although a bit weird and uncomfortable that I didn’t have a home to go back to, I felt confident and secure that I would establish a new “physical home” when I was ready to do so. I took reassurances from having a broad network of family and friends who graciously opened up their homes and hosted me for an evening (or even an entire week) and provided meals and rich conversation. I also continued to manage my business and coach my clients while on the road which provided a strong sense of continuity.

Ultimately, a big part of feeling “at home” was the rare and treasured opportunity to visit with those I care about, longtime friends and family. Almost equally gratifying was exploring the wondrous outdoors as I also feel “at home” when I’m immersed in nature.

One of the most surprising twists during my journey was that I ended up doing several housesitting and dogsitting gigs. My cousin Janeanne in Arizona planted the seed by telling me about TrustedHousesitters.com where I could stay places for free in exchange for watching owners’ homes and pets while they were out of town. How cool is that?

How Security factors into my life today

Today I live in a small one-bedroom apartment in Oceanside, California (part of San Diego county). What’s interesting is that having spent so much time in other people’s homes in a relatively short period of time, I had the benefit of being able to observe and experience how others live. It truly inspired me and will be the topic of another blog article.

What I’ll say for now is that I’ve been very intentional about how I set up my new home so that it is one that inspires me to be my best self and live my best life. A friend of mine introduced me to a new term that resonates with me — she said that I’ve been “nesting.” I laugh when I think about this because for the first six months after moving here, I rarely wanted to go anywhere unless I could walk there! Gradually, I began creating a new balance.

My thirst for adventure has been coming back the past few months. One of my goals this year is to go on “mini-vagaventures.” I’ll be heading to Texas later this month and will explore various cities for a couple weeks while visiting with additional friends and colleagues. And in May, I hope to revisit friends in the Pacific Northwest while exploring new natural wonders.

How about you? What is “home” for you and to what degree does your need for security influence the way you live?

It’s been almost a year since finishing my six-month Vagabond Adventure throughout the U.S. and Canada. I’ve had time to reflect on this incredible experience which surfaced 10 life lessons along the way that have stuck with me. Previously, I wrote about my experience with Generosity , Connection, and Flexibility and their impacts on me. Feel free to add your comments below.