How travel has influenced my idea of home.
Nesting is often used as a metaphor for settling down, buying a house, and accumulating all the accessories we assume will help us nest in our home.
This past year, my husband and I had the opportunity to travel to Mexico, England and Italy. What we both noticed is that in other countries, people nest in their homes not by accumulating stuff that simply fill their abodes, rather people live in a style and form, in what we might consider, modest or minimalistic homes. Yet, at the same time their homes are designed for maximum comfort, responding to their individual needs, and the specific climate and environment in which they live.
Understanding sustainability is forward-thinking. Realizing that sturdy construction and unpretentious beauty enhances lifestyle. And resisting the temptation to accumulate just to fill spaces, or attain what someone else may have, empowers us to nest in our homes with all the essentials we need minus the clutter.