I have been lucky enough to spend the last week in San Francisco in California attending the Performance Studies International Conference (PSi) where I was presenting a performance. Being so far away from lovely England brought with it a new perspective to home and what it means to belong. When you travel, you experience new things, hotter climates, cooler climates, different traditions and rituals, unusual geography and whilst this is (usually) a good and interesting experience, it can also make you realise what is special about where you live and the sometimes unexpected things that you miss. In my case, it was cups of tea, a more equable climate and, of course, people, particularly my family. I spent quite a bit of time out there driving on the wide expansive roads where surprisingly there are no roundabouts! Thats was something I did miss, since they allow a much freer flowing traffic than regular crossroads.
I am looking forward to returning to Burnley in the next few days, and talking with everyone about their families, homes and what they would miss if they travelled away.
Caroline
