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Quotes about Returning Home After Travel – 62 Inspiring Quotes & Sayings

Coming home is something extraordinary and personal for everyone. Whether it’s returning from a trip, a long day, or heading home in general.

The power of words can have a surprisingly powerful effect on our emotions. This is especially true regarding quotes about returning home after travel. Any phrase or word can bring us back to the familiar feelings of home in a matter of seconds – especially after being abroad or in an unfamiliar place for a while.

I am no stranger to coming-home quotes and sayings. As I type these lines, I just returned from a four-month trip to Latin America a few days ago. Since I have this feeling so present, I would like to share the most beautiful quotes about coming home with you here.

What to find out in this post

• 1 The Best Quotes About Returning Home from Travel
• 2 Coming Home Quotes & Sayings
• 3 Funny Coming Home Quotes
• 4 Quotes about Home
• 5.1 About the AuthorVicki

The Best Quotes About Returning Home from Travel

Coming home after a trip is not always easy. And sometimes, it comes with a strange feeling, almost as if you had never been away because everything is somehow the same, yet you have changed somehow.

So sometimes, it’s not so easy to get used to everyday life and the familiar routine again – especially if you’ve been abroad for a long time.

Many things that were so natural and familiar before now feel kind of strange. And it takes time to get used to your time at home again.

Below, we’ll first look at the best coming-home quotes for returning from a trip.

The best journey takes you home.

No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow. – Lin Yutang

A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it. — George Moore

The road home is never too long, because the heart makes the journey easy.

Life takes you to unexpected places, love takes you home.

Home is the beginning and the end of all journeys.

Once you’ve seen the world, you appreciate your home even more.

When a traveller returneth home, let him not leave the countries where he hath travelled altogether behind him; but maintain a correspondence by letters with those of his acquaintance which are of most worth; and let his travel appear rather in his discourse than in his apparel or gesture; and in his discourse, let him be rather advised in his answers, than forward to tell stories. – Francis Bacon

There is no path that does not lead home at some point.

It is not the departure from port, but the return home that determines the success of a voyage.

There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered. – Nelson Mandela

Trips do not end when you return home – usually this is the time when in a sense they really begin. – Agnes Benedict & Adele Franklin

Being at home. How all the turmoil of feelings is lost and put in order when one returns home from a foreign land to one’s own four walls. Only at home is a person whole. – Jean Paul

The magic thing about home is that it feels good to leave, and it feels even better to come back. – Wendy Wunder

Maybe that’s the best part of going away for a vacation — coming home again. — Madeleine L’Engle

Perhaps the key to carefree travel is to always find it convenient to be where you are. I think that is a great and useful art. If you can do that, then you will also be one of those who always travel with pleasure, return satisfied, and find it nicer at home again in the end than in the whole rest of the world. -Werner Kuhn

Finding yourself is like coming home after a long journey – you enter rooms that are somehow familiar but smell and feel completely different. You drop your luggage, breathe deeply, and tranquility spreads – you know whatever may come, you are at home within yourself.

Coming Home Quotes & Sayings

Many writers, poets, thinkers, and other famous personalities have shared creative and inspirational words about coming home over the years. Below, you will find an interesting selection of the best quotes about coming home.

I believe wherever dreams dwell, the heart calls it home. So may you untangle yourself from the twist of melancholy and ley your thoughts carry you back to the birthplace of your truth. – Dodinsky

It’s a funny thing coming home. Nothing changes. Everything looks the same, feels the same, even smells the same. You realize what’s changed is you. – F. Scott Fitzgerald

No matter who you are or where you are, instinct tells you to go home. – Laura Marney

I like coming home and sharing things I’ve tasted and seen. – Dianne Reeves

Home is a shelter from storms – all sorts of storms. – William J. Bennett

Those who want to bring home knowledge from their travels must already have knowledge with them when they leave. – James Boswell

Maybe you had to leave in order to miss a place, maybe you had to travel to figure out how beloved your starting point was. – Jodi Picoult

The thrill of coming home has never changed. – Guy Pearce

You can have more than one home. You can carry your roots with you and decide where they grow. – Henning Mankell

I think you travel to search and you come back home to find yourself here. – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

There’s nothing half as nice as coming home again. – Margaret Elizabeth Sangster

The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned. — Maya Angelou

When you go somewhere, even to paradise, you will miss your home. – Malala Yousafzai

Funny Coming Home Quotes

Home is where you come to when you have nothing better to do. – Margaret Thatcher

Home is where you can say anything you please, because nobody pays any attention to you anyway. – Joe Moore

Home is where you don’t have to pull in your stomach.

To be an ideal guest, stay at home. — E. W. Howe

Everybody’s always talking about people breaking into houses, ma’am; but there are more people in the world who want to break out of houses. —– Thornton Wilder

Quotes about Home

Home does not necessarily have to be a place or a building. It can also be a synonym for home in general. You will find some inspiring thoughts and sayings about home in the following lines.

Home is where your story begins.

Home isn’t where you’re from, it’s where you find light when all grows dark. – Pierce Brown

Only foreign countries teach us to love our homeland. – Theodor Fontane

The brave man finds his home everywhere. – Friedrich Schiller

Home is not there or thereabouts. Home is inside you, or nowhere. ―Hermann Hesse

In a foreign country, you learn what your homeland is worth. – Ernst Wiechert

Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home. – Edith Sitwell

Home is never more beautiful than when you talk about it in a foreign country. – Horst Wolfram Geißler

Every patch of land is home to the brave. – Ovid

Home is not a place…it is a feeling. – Herbert Grönemeyer

I often found something to delight my eyes and heart, but never something to replace my homeland. – Friedrich von Bodenstedt

Home is wherever you leave everything you love and never question that it will be there when you return. – Leo Christopher

No one should forget their roots. They are the origin of our life. -Federico Fellini

On moving abroad rests the curse of eternal homelessness. – Carmen Sylva

I’m coming Home Quotes and Sayings about being Home

There is no place like home. – L. Frank Baum

Chase your dreams but always know the road that will lead you home again.

With you, I am home.

Everyone needs a somewhere, a place he can go. There comes a time, you see, inevitably there comes a time you have to have a somewhere you can go. — Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Coming home to my family afterward makes the work richer, easier and more fun. – Edie Falco

Seek home for rest, for home is best. — Thomas Tusser

Where could one settle more pleasantly than in one’s home? – Cicero

To know the road ahead, ask those coming back. – Chinesisches Sprichwort

Eventually, we will all come home.

Home is where the heart is.

Every bird loves its own nest.

Interested in Travel Quotes?

About the Author Vicki

Hi, we are Vicki & Eduardo, an international travel couple on a mission to help you save money for priceless travel experience. Follow us through the miracles of this world and you will be rewarded with a bunch of practical travel tips.

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Esplanade Presents

• Sang: A Journey to Return Home

13 Jan – 14 May 2023

Esplanade Concourse

This event is over.

Sang: A Journey to Return Home manifests Papermoon Puppet Theatre’s abiding interests in the bonds humans have with each other and nature. Inspired by communities that make the river their homes, the work celebrates the life-giving energy of human relationships and nature. Inhabiting the Esplanade Concourse, the installation comprises larger-than-life puppets, stilt houses and miniature puppets created from materials including papier-mache, wood and rattan. The work traces Sang’s encounter with the giant guardian Kali, who takes the form of an enormous puppet. Kali, whose name originates from the word “river” in Javanese, keeps watch over this cluster of homes and its inhabitants. Sang’s journey of discovering who Kali is and remembering what he once was serves as an allegory for the desire to protect and preserve the bonds that truly matter.

This installation continues telling the tale of remembrance and reconnection central to the production Stream of Memory by Papermoon Puppet Theatre. It reflects on the impact of urbanisation and modern life on natural environments while urging for the rekindling of relationships with others and nature. Stream of Memory was commissioned as part of In New Light – A Season of Commissions , in celebration of Esplanade’s 20th anniversary.

Mask-wearing is optional. However, audiences are encouraged to continue to exercise responsibility and caution, such as wearing masks when in crowded places. No tickets will be issued. Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Papermoon Puppet Theatre

Papermoon Puppet Theatre was founded in April 2006 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia by Co-Artistic Director Maria Tri Sulistyani who developed and expanded the company with Co-Artistic Director Iwan Effendi, a visual artist and Papermoon’s puppet designer. The company works with a collective of puppeteers to bring Papermoon’s distinctive visions and compelling theatrical productions to life. Their work is grounded in the belief that anything can come alive, and every creature and object carries life in it. The company has created more than 30 puppet performances, visual art installations and exhibitions which have been presented in several countries, including Japan, the United States and Australia.

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Best Movies About Returning Home, Ranked

The journey home is often used as a major plot device for characters needing a change. Here are the best movies about coming home.

Coming home is a pivotal plot device in some movies in which a main character is returning home for the first time since leaving. More often than not, this character has transitioned into the adult years of their life and has outgrown the customs that their hometown once offered. This plot houses no restrictions in specific genres, as these films range from dramas to comedies and even tend to pop up in some horror movies.

Similar to coming of age films, movies that focus on a character’s return home focus on a lesson or moral grounding, which the character seeks. Here are some of the best movies about coming home.

10 The Lucky One

Adapted from Nicholas Sparks' novel of the same name, The Lucky One focuses on the romance between a U.S. Marine Sergeant and a woman he believes was his good luck charm while deployed. Upon returning home from his third tour of duty, Sgt. Logan Thibault (played by Zac Efron) seeks out a woman from a photograph that he acquired while he was away. Logan believes that the woman in the photo was his good luck charm, and soon learns that her name is Beth (played by Taylor Schilling).

While Logan struggles to find the words to explain to her who she is to him, the two work together at Beth's kennel, all while their romance begins to bloom. The Lucky One follows the expected formula of most Nicholas Sparks' plots. However, this movie in particular focuses heavily on a veteran's adjustment to acclimating to a daily routine.

Related: 20 Most Beloved Coming-of-Age Films of All Time

9 Now and Then

Now and Then is a female-driven coming-of-age drama about a group of girls recollecting on the summer of 1970. This particular summer was special to them because they collectively agreed that this was the summer in which they "grew up." The movie is told in both past and present form, as the scenes shift between the four as pre-teens and then as adults. The four friends reunite in their hometown to support Chrissy (played by Rita Wilson) through the birth of her first child. The most reluctant to return home is Samantha, who is played by Demi Moore.

Now and Then uses the four protagonists to its benefit by focusing on separate, troubling story-lines for each, and holds a similar message to films like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and Lady Bird, whose main protagonist suffered from a complicated relationship with her mother .

8 Sweet Home Alabama

After leaving Alabama behind, a prominent fashion designer named Melanie (played by Reese Witherspoon) must return home to officially divorce her high-school boyfriend after becoming engaged to her latest boyfriend Andrew (played by Patrick Dempsey). Once Melanie is home and confront Jake, she realizes that there is much more to their tumultuous story than meets the eye. Apparently, according to a mutual friend, Jake followed Melanie to the city, but felt as though he was now out of her league. Jake never signed the divorce papers in hopes that he would one day win her back.

In true rom-com fashion, Melanie's current boyfriend Andrew makes his way to Alabama as a surprise. Melanie soon realizes that she left more behind at home than she thought. Sweet Home Alabama is certainly a Witherspoon rom-com classic , and a film that truly depicts the complications of returning home to settle unfinished business.

High School reunion movies are few and far between, but 2011's 10 Years hits the nail on the head for the genre. According to Collider, the rom-com feels more like a slice of life indie despite the bigger names in the film. After 10 years have passed, Jake (played by Channing Tatum) and his girlfriend Jess (played by Jenna Dewan) return to his hometown to attend his ten-year high school reunion. Jess meets some of his closest friends from school, and the group realizes that some of their past business if very much unfinished.

At some point in the night, Jake must confront his high-school ex after eight years apart and the two share a dance that they never got to share at prom. Jake and his ex Mary (played by Rosario Dawson) find the closure that they never had and Jake returns home to Mary. Although 10 Years doesn't hit the same beats as Romy and Michele's High School Reunion or American Reunion, the film is a heartfelt take on revisiting the past.

6 The Best of Me

The Best of Me may not be the highest-grossing Nicholas Sparks adaptation , but still is a half decent watch if you're in the mood for a romance flick. Main characters, Adam (played by James Marsden) and Amanda (played by Michelle Monaghan) were high-school sweethearts, who reunite at a friend's funeral after 20 years apart. The two realize that the love they shared all those years ago never died, and a flame reignites between the two of them. However, the very things that pulled their younger selves away from each other seem even more pressing in present days.

5 Garden State

Garden State has been a long-debated film since its release in 2004. The off-beat rom-com has often been criticized for some of the directorial choices, as well as the way the film depicts depression. However, Braff who both wrote the film and stars in it, commented that he struggled heavily with depression while writing it.

Braff's character in the film, Andrew, returns home to New Jersey for his mother's funeral and comes to find that he has left more unfinished business behind than intended. He seeks refuge in both old friends and new, but immediately feels drawn to Sam (played by Natalie Portman) upon meeting her. Andrew's return home brings him both healing and solution as he mends past relationships and learns new outlooks on life.

Related: 10 Totally Forgotten About Teen Comedies That Are Actually Good

4 It: Chapter 2

It was originally produced as a miniseries, and infamously cast Tim Curry to portray Pennywise the clown. Over two decades later in 2017, Bill Skarsgard took the reins and put on his best Pennywise face for It. The first film focused on the cast as children, during their first encounter with the bloodthirsty clown. The second installment followed the novel's structure, having the Loser's Club return to Derry in their adults years after receiving a call that Pennywise is back. It is an interesting film to anaylize when thrown in a pile with movies about returning home. S

tephen King's most notorious literary trait is that of child-like wonder and capturing the thin line between childhood and adulthood. I t: Chapter 2 brings the group back home to make them remember the very things they were destined to leave behind. The It franchise only houses two films, but sits as one of the highest-grossing horror franchises of all time.

3 American Reunion

American Reunion is the fourth and final installment that features the original cast of the American Pie franchise. The film was released in 2012, almost 10 years after American Wedding , which featured the marriage of Jim (played by Jason Biggs) and Michelle (Alyson Hannigan). Reunion finds the gang of four reunited once again, but with issues that are much larger in scale even though personality wise, very little has changed.

The movie follows the standard American Pie formula with raunchy comedy, and of course the ongoing affair between Finch (played by Eddie Kaye Thomas) and Stiffler's mom (played by Jennifer Coolidge). All in all, American Reunion is a nice end cap for the franchise and the characters as a whole.

2 Just Friends

Just Friends portrays the timeless story of a male and female best friend pairing in which one of them is in love with the other, but the feelings aren't reciprocated. Chris Brander (played by Ryan Reynolds) is in love with his high school bestie Jamie (played by Amy Smart), however, she only views him as a friend. In high school, Chris wasn't the type of guy that would be on Jamie's radar as a love interest.

Flash forward several years later, and Chris is now a successful record executive who has no problem attracting women. When his Christmas plans in Paris fall through, he returns to his hometown of New Jersey, ready to show Jamie exactly who she missed out on. As the two get to know each other almost all over again, they rebuild their bond, and Jamie realizes that she is in fact in love with Chris. Just Friends is an all-year watch, but a solid rom-com staple around the holidays.

In the most simplistic of terms, 1991's Hook is a Peter Pan story. The film depicts Peter, (played by Robin Williams) as a grown adult and working as a lawyer with a family of his own. One night, his children are abducted, and he must return to Neverland to not only find them, but also connect with his past. Peter's Lost Boys and Tinkerbell must help him remember who was when he was Peter Pan in order to save his kids.

The film was directed by Steven Spielberg, whose sentimental plot tones and ability to perfectly encapsulate childlike wonder shine through in most of his work. Hook has a cast that is predominantly composed of child actors, and Spielberg has a special ability to bring out their best work. Hook is a quintessential staple in films about returning home because it focuses heavily on what it means to grow up and the aspects of childhood that are so easily forgotten.

Strength in Prayer

21 Protective Prayers for Safe Return Home

Amid life’s journey, as loved ones embark on distant adventures, hearts are filled with hope and concern. Yearning for their safe return, we seek solace in prayer.

This collection of heartfelt prayers serves as a beacon of light, guiding them through travels and ensuring their protection. As we whisper each prayer for safe return home, we unite in faith, entrusting their well-being into the hands of the Almighty.

May these words be a shield of love and a reminder of our unwavering care. With each prayer for safe return home, let us create a divine connection that resonates within our souls.

#1. A Journey Under Heavenly Care

Heavenly Father, watch over [Name] as they venture into the unknown. Embrace them in Your divine protection and guide their every step. Grant them courage in the face of uncertainty, and may Your love surround them like a fortress.

As they return home, we offer our heartfelt thanks, for Your watchful eye has been their constant companion. Amen.

#2. Guardian Angels on the Road

Oh Lord, send Your angels to accompany [Name]’s journey. Let them spread their wings, shielding them from harm. Through winding paths and unfamiliar territories, may Your celestial guardians pave the way, ensuring a safe return.

With grateful hearts, we thank You, Heavenly Father, for keeping them safe under Your watchful gaze. Amen.

#3. Guiding Light in Foreign Lands

Heavenly Father, be the guiding light that leads [Name] through foreign lands. May Your wisdom and discernment be their compass, and Your grace be their refuge.

Amidst new cultures and languages, may Your presence provide comfort and reassurance. As they set their feet on homeward paths, we give thanks for Your unwavering guidance. Amen.

#4. Peaceful Shelter on the Journey

Lord, be the shelter that surrounds [Name] during their travels. Like the shade of a tree in scorching heat, may Your protection offer respite from the storms of life.

As they journey far from home, grant them the assurance of Your constant presence. With gratitude, we anticipate their safe return, knowing that Your love is a fortress that stands unshaken. Amen.

#5. Wings of Protection

Heavenly Father, spread Your wings over [Name], encircling them with divine protection. As they soar through distant skies, may Your feathers shield them from all harm.

In moments of turbulence, may they find solace in Your embrace. With heartfelt thanks, we celebrate the safe return that awaits, knowing that Your wings carry them back to us. Amen.

#6. Safe Passage Through Troubled Waters

Oh Lord, be the captain guiding [Name] through life’s troubled waters. Whether sailing calm seas or navigating rough currents, may Your hand be their steady helm.

As they set sail on adventures, we entrust them into Your care, confident in Your ability to lead them safely home. With grateful hearts, we offer thanks for Your faithful guidance. Amen.

#7. Embraced by Divine Love

Heavenly Father, enfold [Name] in Your divine love as they journey beyond familiar horizons. May Your embrace be a source of comfort when far from home, and Your love a beacon that draws them back. As they return, we give thanks for the boundless love that surrounds us all, uniting us in joy and gratitude. Amen.

#8. Guardian of the Midnight Hour

Lord, stand guard over [Name] as they traverse the darkness of night. Whether beneath starry skies or amidst shadows, may Your presence be their guiding light.

Shield them from harm, and as the first light of dawn appears, lead them safely home. With hearts full of appreciation, we praise Your steadfast protection. Amen.

#9. Whispers of Protection in the Wind

Heavenly Father, let Your voice be heard in the whispers of the wind that carry [Name] across lands near and far. May Your words of protection and assurance be a constant companion during their journey. As they return home, we offer gratitude for Your gentle presence, guiding them through every twist and turn. Amen.

#10. Sheltered Beneath Your Watchful Eye

Oh Lord, keep [Name] sheltered beneath Your watchful eye, wherever they may roam. Through deserts and mountains, valleys and plains, may Your vigilant gaze be their constant guide.

As they prepare to return, we extend our thanks for the assurance that Your loving gaze is ever upon them. Amen.

#11. An Abode of Safety

Heavenly Father, be the safe abode where [Name] finds refuge during their travels. Amidst unfamiliar places and faces, may Your presence be their sanctuary.

As they journey towards home, we express our gratitude for Your unwavering protection, a shelter that stands strong against the storms of life. Amen.

#12. Guided by Faith, Led by Love

Lord, guide [Name] with unwavering faith and lead them with boundless love. As they explore new territories, may Your divine presence be their compass, pointing them towards the path of safety. With hearts full of thanksgiving, we await their return, knowing that Your love has been their constant guide. Amen.

#13. Divine Providence in Distant Lands

Heavenly Father, provide for [Name] with Your divine providence in lands unknown. May Your hand of blessing rest upon them, granting provision and protection.

As they journey home, we express our profound thanks for Your abundant care, a faithful provision throughout their travels. Amen.

#14. Serenity Amidst Turmoil

Oh Lord, grant [Name] serenity amidst the turmoil of travel. Like a calm river flowing through chaotic landscapes, may Your peace be their constant companion. As they return home, we offer thanks for the tranquil waters of Your presence that refresh their souls. Amen.

#15. Strengthened on Foreign Soil

Heavenly Father, strengthen [Name] on foreign soil, empowering them to face every challenge with unwavering courage. May Your mighty hand be their support, and Your love their driving force. With grateful hearts, we anticipate their safe return, knowing that Your strength has sustained them throughout their journey. Amen.

#16. A Shield of Faith

Lord, let [Name]’s faith be a shield that guards them on their travels. Amidst uncertainties and trials, may their trust in You be unwavering. As they return home, we give thanks for the shield of faith that protected them, preserving their spirits in the face of adversity. Amen.

#17. Light in the Darkness

Heavenly Father, be the light that shines brightly in [Name]’s darkest moments. Whether far from home or journeying through the night, may Your presence illuminate their path.

With hearts full of thankfulness, we celebrate the return that awaits, knowing that Your light has guided them safely back. Amen.

#18. Nurtured by Your Grace

Oh Lord, nurture [Name] with Your abundant grace throughout their travels. Like a tender gardener tending to delicate flowers, may Your care and provision be ever-present.

As they journey homeward, we express our deep gratitude for Your grace that has been their constant companion. Amen.

#19. A Tapestry of Protection

Heavenly Father, weave a tapestry of protection around [Name], encompassing them in Your loving arms. As they venture far and wide, may Your threads of safety hold them close. With joyous hearts, we welcome the return of our beloved [Name], knowing that Your tapestry has kept them secure. Amen.

#20. Paths Divinely Aligned

Lord, align [Name]’s paths with Your divine will, guiding them towards safe destinations. Through twists and turns, may Your hand lead them along the right course. As they journey home, we offer our thanks for the assurance that Your guidance has been their steadfast compass. Amen.

#21. Homeward Bound with Gratitude

Heavenly Father, as [Name] embarks on the journey homeward, let gratitude fill their heart. For every step taken, for every experience encountered, and for every moment cherished, we give thanks. With hearts full of love, we anticipate their safe return, knowing that their journey has been blessed by Your unwavering presence. Amen.

In the embrace of a prayer for safe return home, we find peace and assurance for those dear to us. Let us hold steadfast to faith and love as we entrust them into the care of the Almighty.

May their journeys be marked by divine protection, and may their return be a testament to the power of prayer.

The Return Home: Bringing Aliveness Back to Daily Life

by Michael Mervosh | Aug 11, 2021 | Uncategorized

Uncategorized

 The Hero’s Journey® Foundation presents a series written by Michael Mervosh, taking a deeper dive into living the myth of the Hero’s Journey, and re-discovering the meaning of myth for our lives we live in the every day. Download the PDF for your e-reader here. 

The Return Home:

Bringing aliveness back to daily life.

Boon – a symbol of life force energy, geared to the needs and requirements of the one on whom it is bestowed.   The ‘pearl beyond all price’.  

Return – to turn one’s attention back to (something); a feeling of coming back or recurring after a period of absence; to feel, say or do in response to (something).

Born again after experiencing a life-enhancing and soul-awakening journey, we must now return home from where we have taken our leave.  We must now survive the impact of returning to the world as it is, having become who we now are, and risk bringing forth our newly clarified gifts and capacities – as this is the whole purpose of the journey.  

“In loving the spiritual,  you cannot despise the earthly.  The purpose of the journey is compassion.

When you have come past the pairs of opposites  you have reached compassion.

The goal is to bring the jewel back to the world,  to join the two things together.

We are not there until we  can say “yea” to it all.”

 – Joseph Campbell

 Many of us can say that as we went through the inevitable adventures and ordeals of our journey, we have experienced profound moments of bliss.  

Many of us can also now say that we’ve had unexplainable, mystical and strangely synchronistic encounters with nature, with our allies who accompanied us along the journey, and with the seen and unseen forces of the universe. 

Moments such as these tend to live outside of time.   They enrapture us and they capture us; they bring us alive with wonder and awe.  Moments of mystery and unity with the world-at-large tend to transport us, move us, and inspire us.  They undeniably connect us to something larger than and beyond our previously known selves.

We can’t make these awakening experiences happen through our own will, even though we can seek them out.   We can only enter the necessary conditions within which they have the possibility to occur.  When these moments outside of time do happen, we are typically surprised by their occurrence.  Over and over again, we discover ourselves to be filled with grace and gratitude.  

In order to allow this boon of enchantment to take place in our hearts, we practice surrendering control of our lives and we open up to the unfolding of mystery.  We say yes to what comes.  Our spiritual center of gravity keeps on turning towards the unknown, and even towards the unknowable.  

Whenever we enter the realm of mystery, we feel carried by the spirit of adventure.  We accept that we cannot know the outcome of our journey in advance, nor can we attach ourselves to expectations or desired outcomes. 

When we undertake a hero’s journey, we keep letting go of our ego’s wishes, and we surrender to the complexity and paradox of the soul.   We have inevitably experienced successes and failures along the way, and if we are fortunate, we learn and grow from both. 

This is especially true of our failures.  We enter the light and we enter the darkness and say yes to both, as best we can. When the adventure and the ordeal takes place in balanced proportions, we find the unifying life force energies in between and beyond any sense of duality or polarity.

When we say ‘yes’ to our journey, we accept that we will invariably enter the reality of adventures and ordeals, often finding one within the other.  Through our lived experiences, we are destined to feel our lives at times being pulled downward and taken inward.  At other  times, we feel our lives catapulted forward and outward once again, like Jonah from the belly of the whale.

  Ultimately, by going through the adventures and ordeals that move us beyond our usual selves, we discover something about how the ‘zeal of eternity’ wishes to embody us, expressing itself through our unique personality and circumstance.  This is the discovery of the boon, the vital and meaningful inner life that awaits us at the core of our very being.  

Then we must return, once again, to that which was at once familiar, and perhaps now strangely foreboding.   We must find our way home again.

Crossing the Return Threshold

The first problem of the returning hero  is to accept as real, after an experience

of the soul-satisfying vision of fulfillment,  the passing joys and sorrows,

banalities and noisy obscenities of life.  Why re-enter such a world?

 –  Joseph Campbell

Those of us who have had the experience of a life-giving, mystical ‘other-worldly’ encounter can certainly relate to the disenchanting aspect of returning to what we would rather eliminate or leave behind in our lives.  

We return to face crowded airports and traffic congestion; we stand in lines and stare at stacks of (e)mail; we encounter un-stocked refrigerators or overgrown grass in yard; we come home to hassled and pre-occupied family members. 

We inevitably return back to find once again the confining nature of everyday life – we are inside of four squared walls.  We are tied to usual schedules.   We find people behaving towards us as they always do.  We might initially feel ever further constrained by the routine obligations we have undertaken within the worlds we inhabit and know so well.

Upon re-entering the dense, demanding atmosphere of daily life, we can lose sight of the beauty, the mystery and the eloquence of timeless ways of being expanded.  The mythic realm,  so palpable to us on the mountain in West Virginia, can feel far away in a hurry.  Experiences that were momentous just a week or so ago can now seem irrelevant, or even somewhat silly, in the midst of the day’s normal routines. 

  When we return to the sameness of the world we left behind, we can find ourselves wanting to turn away from our ordinary lives.   The appeal and lure of staying in the mythic adventure pulls at us.   

We may want to avoid grounding ourselves back into our familiar physical locations in space and boon, not yet having any faith that the boon will now begin to arise from within us, while in the midst of daily life.  We may begin to doubt that we can bring forth new life and new love wherever we are presently planted.

During the return home phase of our journey, many of us might also feel out of place in our once familiar worlds, in the same ways we might have felt initially lost or uncertain when we crossed the threshold into the mystery of our journey. 

We might feel lost in the cement jungles and in the bland, rectangular forests of urban landscapes.  As we re-enter the selves we have been in these worlds, it can feel as if the clothes we once wore no longer fit us – yet we don’t yet know what else to wear, or what our new size is.  It is understandable that we might now feel ‘out of place’ in places that once suited us very well.

  Joseph Campbell tells us very clearly that the problem we face is to maintain one’s sense of the eternal in the face of immediate earthly pain or joy . 

The return back to a temporal life, and all the fruits of this world, can draw our attention away from the new orientation, from the new story, from the ‘centered-ness’ we may have discovered as part of our boon.  

We might find ourselves being pulled, sometimes as strongly as ever, back towards the more peripheral crises and persistent dramas of our current circumstances and relationships, and become swallowed by them once again.

This is a common struggle, and often we will fall or fail here once more, losing sight of the new boon of awakening and clarity.  We  need some kind of ‘spiritual insulation’ to keep the seeds of our newly established boon nourished, and to keep remembering we are being re-shaped to a newly forming identity. 

We might also have to re-define what ‘home’ means to us, what it now feels like, and where that is now located – especially within us.

Redefining Our True Home

The sense of ‘home’ we all know and learn to cherish is a place of shelter, nourishment, safety and warmth.  It is a feeling of being contained in desired and familiar ways.  It is something felt deeply in the bones of our being, and in the heart of what we know best.  We may be wanderers, seekers, and journeyers, but we all also carry within us a longing for home.

As part of our return, we have the opportunity to re-examine and perhaps re-define the differences between one’s house and one’s home. 

• What is the difference between a physical shelter that is simply a storage unit for our possessions, and a sense of place where we can bring our hearts, minds and bodies for rest, refuge and sustenance?
• We tend to feel at home in environments and physical spaces where we can feel most like our real or true selves.

Home is not necessary a physical location, though it often involves a sense of connection to a particular exterior space or landscape.   I feel deeply at home in various mountain terrains, for reasons I cannot rationally explain.  Yet I can also feel at home, as an urban city dweller – especially at night, and especially when I am near the river in the south side of the city where I was born and raised.

I also feel bucolic sense of home in the realms of various forest regions: in the green fields and open skies of rural environments, ancient and soulful, unconcerned with things of the modern world.  From time to time, I feel an old, melancholic pull to reside in the midst of nature’s sounds, smells and visual delights, a certain kind of timeless, country comfort.

• Home can also be defined by our sense of connected to people who are significant and known to us.  

  I feel at home among the company of family members in one way, and at home in a very different way when I am among the adventurous seekers and journeyers who have become the most kindred of companions to me.

We all need some anchoring, some actualized sense of place, where we can rest in ourselves, and prepare ourselves for the life challenges and meaningful experiences that are waiting for us.  

• Where do you feel most at home? With whom do you feel most at home?  What reflecting mirrors do you need; where do you long to be most; what best reveals to you a sense of ‘at-home-ness’ within yourself?
• From the opposing perspective – where does the wanderlust in you live? Where are you restless and ever-on-the-move?   How are you not yet at home? 

Remembering the Boon  

• One of the fundamental tasks for the return home is an ongoing remembering to one’s true nature.  

We must be willing and able to ‘ re-member’ the self that has been long forgotten or set aside, lost or disowned, and is now to be reclaimed as an essential aspect of our true nature.  The whole purpose of the hero’s journey is to re-connect with and re-member who we really are and what we were born for, and not just what we were born into.

We are asked again and again to keep listening to our soul’s calling: to bring forth a talent, a capacity for a deeper humanity, growing into a certain ability that is rising up from within, coming into a new awareness from the deep wellspring of our eternal being. 

Our new gifts and abilities often come forth as a result of the recent adventures and ordeals we experienced during the journey into the unknown and the unexpected.  These adventures and ordeals have created the exact circumstances and conditions we needed to elicit the vital and re-generative life force energies from within us, that reveal to us the boon of who we really are.

  Once we achieve this hard-won boon, this discovery of our deeper, true self, found in our ventures into the unknown, this fresh self-revelation can be easily lost to us as we return home.  We become vulnerable to one of two fundamental ways of failure as we facing the challenge of bringing back our boon to the world we live in.

•   One way we fail in our return home is by being over-attached to what we have discovered about ourselves.  

In the Buddhist tradition, the problem would be termed as one of ‘grasping’.   When we cling to what feels important to us, we attach a kind of ‘specialness’ to it.  This feeling of ‘preciousness’ begins to cause us to become possessive, and to narrow and control the flow of vital energies within. 

We can become willful, locking ourselves onto a path that once more becomes confining because we have begun to take our gifts too literally, or too seriously. 

I remember a council sharing that took place among our stewards during a Men’s Hero’s Journey wilderness intensive a good number of years ago.  As part of our annual weeklong Journey Intensive, the men who are the stewards and keepers of our Journey ways create a Spirit Fire . 

A Spirit Fire is our ceremonial fire that burns continuously throughout the life cycle of a Journey – from the time of the journeyer’s first arrival at our basecamp, to the final departure from our community space.  It is a living symbol for the communal Spirit that burns within each of us, as well as among us.

It also represents the Great Spirit of life, from which we all have come, and to which we will all return.  The stewarding team sees to it that the fire is well-tended, and kept burning day and night.  The teaching we embrace is that we all must learn to tend to our inner fire, to keep this fire burning through the inevitable joys and sorrows of our life.

  During our opening talking stick council one year, one of our men shared how the year before, he felt that it was important to him to light a particular votive candle for himself from the weeklong Spirit Fire.  He intended to carry that lit fire home with him, to keep his own inner fire burning.   He lit his candle and kept it close to him, carefully protecting it from the element of wind, throughout all of his preparations to return home.

This became his primary focus as he departed the mountain in his vehicle.  Yet by the time he came to the end of the six-mile descent from our basecamp, the flame had somehow become extinguished without his noticing it.  He felt defeated, and was despairing about how quickly the flame can go out. 

Slowly over the course of his drive home, something new came to light in him.  He came to realize that he must let go of the journey he just had, to stop his clinging to it, and to trust the process of life.  He had to allow the fire to go deeper within himself, beyond what he could see, and just let it come alive through him when it was needed.  He had to become willing to be the light, to embody the light when it was necessary. 

This was a far bigger challenge than literally keeping a votive candle flame burning. But it was also more vital and more meaningful to him as well.  Moving from an ego attachment to a literal outcome, and shift into a surrendering of one’s whole self to the process of becoming awakened, is a big paradigm shift. 

Moving deeper towards the realization that a spiritual fire burns inside our being, sometimes in our awareness and sometimes out of our awareness, is a necessary step towards the integration of our soul’s giveaway to the world.

Another way we fail to remember the boon is that we fail to take hold of what is truly ours (and ours alone) to take.   We can fail to take ownership of our inner resources, to continue to nurture them, and then we fail to actualize our unique gifts into the worlds we serve.   

We can also fail to make enough insular time and space to gradually cross the necessary thresholds of the journey back to home. 

  If we don’t respect the time it takes to integrate what is new, we will quickly feel lost or dis-oriented again, and will be easily pulled into old and familiar wounds, distractions or dramas.  We end up feeling empty when this happens, and old feelings of inadequacy or uselessness revisit us.   

Here, significant faith is required of us so we can begin to let go of everything that is no longer essential in our lives for a short period of time, in order to take hold of what is becoming most essential for a sustained period of time.  

Re-integration means returning home to the depths of our own heart spaces that have been touched and moved.  It means having some wandering around time, or simply resting or sleeping for a while, waiting without any demands or expectations from ourselves for some days – trusting that something most essential is taking root and coming together inside of us, that will soon emerge in new and surprising ways.  

• On the return home, allowing this journey process to sink into our bones is our true ‘leap of faith’.

Unfortunately, many of us lack this kind of understanding of integration.. It requires a certain faith, along with extended patience.  We need to honor and cultivate an ability to wait, and let the seeds of new life take root within us. 

Many of us often fail to make room for this type of fertilization for our inner space. We must realize and allow for the integration process to take place in its own time. There isn’t something to ‘be done’ about it for a while.

The challenge is to practice essential acts of self-care that nurture the seeds of something worthwhile and uniquely our own, little by little, until the time is right to take new (and heroic) action steps, to venture forth in new directions.

“Cauldron of changes, blossoms from bone.   The arc of eternity, a hole in the stone.

We are an old people, w e are a new people, w e are the same people, d eeper than before.”  

– A song from our Journeying Traditions

I have recently returned home from another Men’s Journey Intensive in the mountains of West Virginia.  It was once again a satisfying and exhausting experience of communal wilderness living, done with meticulous service.  We brought forth what was most essential in each of the men undertaking their own journeys.   We formed ourselves on common ground and through the common good.

Now a week later, I have been waiting for the past two days for my own personal integration process to begin taking root.  I have had the opportunity for aloneness and silence.  I have had a birthday celebration with family, social and musical time with friends.  I have had time alone in the woods with my horse.  I have taken the time to do mundane and menial tasks: food shopping, gardening, laundry, yard work. 

Waiting for something, and for no-thing at all .  Waiting in the space of ‘no-thing-ness’ – no particular thing of significance yet.  This phase of the journey typically feels both timeless and endless to me.  It is a feeling as if I have both been here before and like never before; yet I also have to be here once again, for an extended sense of space and time.

This morning, it has been more of the same.  Now the rains have come.  Somehow I sense this was the essential ingredient for my integration.  I feel nurtured by the rain, like I am a seed being watered.  I am able to let go of my pressing expectations for myself.  I can let go of the day’s demands, and just feel the grey, cool, moist air.  

It is now that I can drink in a particularly meaningful reflection I received via email yesterday.  It was from a man dear to me, who was also on our recent Journey Intensive.  He offered me a deep mirroring of who I am to him, from the clarity of his own heart and eyes.  It is one that feels essential to take into my own heart. 

His reflection now rains down and into me. I feel able to deeply absorb his reflections.  I am soaking in his reflection like a sponge, undistracted for a timeless moment.  

I feel the importance of laying claim of my ability to be a ‘Herald’, someone who awaken others to life.  I feel how I want to keep coming forth with what is alive in me, and how I can.  I am able to call out in an impassioned and embodied way to others.  I also feel my deep desire to gather people together, to create vital and fertile group spaces, in which something meaningful and lasting can unfold and be shared among all present.

At last, this knowing is more than just a thought going through my mind; it is not  just a passing feeling.  It is now welling up in me.  My integration process is bringing a new kind of inner knowing, born from a long time of ‘not knowing myself’ that preceded it. 

Through the eyes of another, I can listen to and trust what they truly see and I cannot see.  I now know this heralding aspect of myself to be true – beyond any specific fact or particular event, and beyond anything I could describe or explain.  Like myths, it is truer than any fact or literal event.  

Seemingly out of nowhere, a truth is coming together inside of me, renewing me today.  This presence of ‘soul’ feels like a resonance, an echoing within me – something that just resounds as ‘what is’.

I do not know where this ‘ zeal of eternity’ within will lead me from here, and it doesn’t feel important or necessary to know.  It just matters that I know an aliveness is happening within me, right now, in a new way, coming from beyond what I know.  That feels like enough for me, something worth living more deeply into in the days ahead. 

I am aware that I will soon get distracted by my cell phone and by computer screens, and I will once more be consumed by my petty concerns, fretting over whatever pressing issue arises next, and happens to be out of my control.   But today I am taking hold of the archetype of the Herald, that which wants to live in me again, and express itself through me.

Bringing Forth Our Aliveness

  “If you bring forth what is within you,

what you bring forth will save you.

 If you do not bring forth what is within you,

what you do not bring forth will destroy you.”  

– Gospel of Thomas

Once we lay claim to what is truly ours, and we know it to be true in the fibers of our being, we will then need to cross the threshold, further and further into the unknowns of our daily lives.  We do this by risking becoming more than what we already are, by bringing forth our distinct gifts and new abilities, and offering them unconditionally to the world. 

We have to take action.

We move from the downward and inward movement of soul awakening, and shift towards coming upward and outward – towards self-expression, towards manifestation, towards definitive action.  Life moving forward, making its own way, as only we can, as we go – the way of mythic adventure.   

This is no easy or simple task.  You may have noticed by now that the world is not sitting around waiting for us to make an essential self-discovery, and speak it out loud to others.  We are not typically asked to pour our talents and gifts out into the waiting arms and needs of the world.  

We have work to do.  

We have to create or discover new pathways for our inner work to flow outward.  We must find our way to those distinct places where timelessness and time intersect, where our ‘ deep gladness meets the deep need of the world’ , as Frederick Buechner says.

Today, as herald, I am calling out to each of us who have recently been on an important journey, one that has taken us far from all that is familiar to us, and now will take us to places we’ve never been before.  For now, it is time to return home .   

It is time to return to our true selves,  more aligned with our inner life. It is time to make space to be in our ‘at-home-ness’ – both in solitude and silence, and with like-minded, kindred spirits, and with those who care about us. 

It is time for us to rest into a newly surrendered self, becoming more sensitized to and more grounded in our being.  It’s time to settle into an embodiment of what is truly ours and ours alone to live, feeling into the excitement and the vulnerability of renewed life force energy coming alive within us.

When the time is right, we must have the courage to follow our instincts, and express ourselves from the new place within.  Take a risk; find an authentic response to the life awaiting you, and follow your aliveness.   Bring forth your true nature, and feed this hungry world.

It is up to us. 

– Michael Mervosh

“ The work of representing eternity in time,

and perceiving eternity in time, cannot be avoided…

What I think is a good life is one hero journey after another.

Over and over again, you are called to the realm of adventure, you are

called to new horizons. Each time, there is the same problem: do I dare?

And then if you do dare, the dangers are there, and the help also,

and the fulfillment or the fiasco.  

There’s always the possibility of a fiasco.

But there’s also the possibility of bliss.”

– Joseph Campbell

Allegiances

It is time for all the heroes to go home

if they have any, time for all of us common ones

to locate ourselves by the real things

we live by.

Far to the north, or indeed in any direction,

strange mountains and creatures have always lurked-

elves, goblins, trolls, and spiders:-we

encounter them in dread and wonder.

But once we have tasted far streams, touched the gold,

found some limit beyond the waterfall,

a season changes, and we come back, changed

but safe, quiet, grateful.

Suppose an insane wind holds all the hills

while strange beliefs whine at the traveler’s ears,

we ordinary beings can cling to the earth and love

where we are, sturdy for common things.

• – William Stafford

Entering the Dark Forest of the Psyche

Hero's Journey® Foundation presents a series written by Michael Mervosh, taking a dive into the myth of the Hero's Journey, and the discovery of meaning of that myth for our lives lived in the every day. Download the PDF for your e-reader here. Bring the Hero...

Now Give Me Your Hand

 The Hero's Journey® Foundation presents a series written by Michael Mervosh, taking a deeper dive into living the myth of the Hero's Journey, and re-discovering the meaning of myth for our lives we live in the every day. Download the PDF for your e-reader here. A...

• Poems About Returning Home: A Journey of Reflection and Nostalgia

Returning home is often a deeply personal and emotional experience. It symbolizes a reunion with familiar surroundings, loved ones, and cherished memories. Poets, with their ability to capture the essence of these profound moments, have beautifully depicted the bittersweet emotions associated with returning home in their verses. In this article, we explore a collection of poignant poems that evoke a sense of longing, reflection, and nostalgia.

1. "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost

2. "i am home" by lang leav, 3. "the return" by rumi, 4. "homage to my hips" by lucille clifton.

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference."

Robert Frost's timeless poem, "The Road Not Taken," speaks to the idea of returning home with a fresh perspective. As the speaker reflects upon the choices made in life, there is an underlying theme of returning to one's roots and finding solace in the path less taken. The poem serves as a reminder that home is not only a physical place but also a state of mind.

"I am home In your eyes I have found The place where I belong."

In her signature heartfelt style, Lang Leav captures the essence of finding home in another person. "I Am Home" beautifully illustrates the longing for connection and the profound sense of belonging that comes with returning home to a loved one. Leav's words remind us that home is not solely tied to a physical location but can also be found in the embrace of someone who truly understands us.

"Come, return to the root of the root of your own soul."

Rumi, the celebrated 13th-century Persian poet, often delves into themes of spiritual awakening and self-discovery. In "The Return," his words resonate with a profound longing to return home to oneself. It serves as a reminder that the journey of returning home is not always about physical places but also about reconnecting with our innermost selves.

"These hips are big hips. They need space to move around in. They don't fit into little petty places."

Lucille Clifton's empowering poem, "Homage to My Hips," celebrates the strength and resilience of one's own body and identity. While not explicitly about returning home, this poem explores the idea of feeling at ease and embracing oneself. It reminds us that home is not only about external landscapes but also about accepting and celebrating our own uniqueness.

Returning home is a deeply personal experience that resonates with people across cultures and generations. These poems provide a glimpse into the wide range of emotions associated with coming home, whether it be a physical place, a loved one, or even a reconnection with oneself. As we navigate the journey of life, these verses serve as a reminder to appreciate the significance of returning home and the profound impact it has on our lives.

• Poems That Celebrate the Magic of Christmas Stockings
• Poems That Capture the Essence of Suffering in Life

Entradas Relacionadas

Beautiful Poems about Home

Poems about Where You Come From: A Reflection of Identity and Belonging

Irish Poems About Home: A Heartwarming Exploration of Belonging

Poems about Finding Home: A Journey of the Heart

Poems About Home Country: A Journey of Love and Identity

Poems about Home and Love: A Journey of Belonging and Affection

Returning Home: A Spirituality of the Christian Journey

The spiritual life has often been presented in terms of a journey because it is all about finding our way to God. For Christians, the spiritual journey has to do with following Christ into the mystery of the divine because he knows the way to the Father. We walk in his footsteps because we know that our happiness is intimately related to our journey into the mystery beyond the pale of death. We were made for God. Our happiness lies in him alone.

This book, which is about our spiritual journey, focuses specifically on our destination. We all long to go beyond ourselves. We all yearn for transcendence. What is more, we all want to be happy. We all wish to find rest in something greater than ourselves. Whether we believe in him or not, on some level, we also all long for God.

TESTIMONIALS

“Fr Dennis Billy, CSsR, brings together his extensive experience as a spiritual director and retreat master, erudition, impressive credentials in moral theology and spirituality, and his skills as a writer and poet in this wonderful book on the spiritual journey. As with any authentic spiritual journey, the pilgrimage in this book is told with generosity and simplicity unfolding profound truths of how God has called us to Himself and accompanies us along the way. It is a treasure for anyone no matter where they might be on the journey home.” — Dcn Peter Lovrick, Professor of Homiletics and Director of Diaconate Formation, St. Augustine’s Seminary, Toronto. Author of Proclaiming in a New Season: a Practical Guide to Catholic Preaching in the New Evangelization

“‘We were made for God. Our happiness lies in him alone. Life is a journey that should lead us into the Heart of God – ultimately culminating in sharing an eternity with Him in heaven.’ These are the basic themes that summarize the work of Fr. Dennis J. Billy, C.Ss.R. in his book, Returning Home: A Spirituality of the Christian Journey . Within this retreat, Fr. Billy does a splendid job in guiding the reader through a simple, yet profound, reflection on the meaning of life. He explains how each soul was created by God in love in order to reach an eternal destiny with Him in heaven. Beginning with basic principles, he extrapolates these tenets by applying them practically to the reader’s pilgrimage to God, regardless of where the reader is on his or her own faith journey. This retreat would be helpful both to beginners by outlining why God created them and how they can grow in their relationship with Him as well as by those more advanced in the spiritual life by offering many reflection points through which the Holy Spirit could powerfully guide them personally deeper into the heart of God.” – Mary Kloska, author of The Holiness of Womanhood

“In this significant spiritual book, Fr. Billy explains that throughout life, every human being is on a spiritual journey to return home to Heaven, to be in the presence of God forever. As I read Fr. Billy’s book, I thought of every human being who has lived, is living, or will live, a virtual ocean of humanity, all traveling towards Heaven. Some limp and carry a heavy burden of sin; others skip along, overconfident in their spirituality; many want to go on their knees, on the roughest part of the road, to do penance for their mortal sins. Still others stroll along because they want to see where everyone is going; and some drag the things that mean the most to them in this life. And yet others try to forge a different path. In five chapters, Fr. Billy gives us the information we need to successfully navigate this journey. Although each and every person’s journey is unique in some ways, Fr. Billy clearly shows us the aspects we have in common. He gives us the signposts we must follow – and that makes this book an important spiritual aid.” — Dr. Cynthia Toolin-Wilson, STL, MFA, Chief Academic Officer, and Professor of Dogmatic and Moral Theology, at  Holy Apostles College and Seminary, Memoirist, Radio Show Host  

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6 Strong Prayers For A Safe Return

Life is filled with uncertainties, and sometimes our journeys take unexpected twists and turns. Whether it’s a physical journey fraught with unforeseen obstacles, a life change that challenges us, or a spiritual path that winds through doubt and despair, we must remember that God is our ultimate guide. His wisdom transcends our understanding, and His love sustains us through every trial.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

These verses offer a profound message of trust and guidance. Trusting in God with all our hearts is an acknowledgment that we don’t have all the answers and that our understanding is limited. It’s a surrender to God’s wisdom and guidance. When we submit our ways to Him, we allow God to make our paths straight, ensuring a safe return.

The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalm 121:7-8 (NIV)

This scripture provides a powerful assurance of God’s protection and care. It reminds us that God is not just concerned with our beginnings but also with our endings, our departures, and returns. His watchful eye is upon us, ensuring that we are shielded from harm and guided safely through life’s challenges.

As we navigate the uncharted waters of life, it’s crucial to keep God as our compass, following His direction and trusting in His faithfulness . We can find solace in the knowledge that He is ever-present, safeguarding our journeys and ensuring that we reach our destinations with hearts and souls intact.

In our pursuit of safe returns, let us cultivate an unwavering faith in God’s guidance. We can rely on God’s wisdom and love to guide us through life’s uncertainties. As we journey forth, let us submit our paths to Him, trusting in His ability to make our ways straight and secure.

May we find peace and comfort in the knowledge that the Lord watches over our comings and goings both now and forevermore, ensuring our safe return in every aspect of life.

Short Prayer For A Safe Return

Lord, I turn to You with a heart full of gratitude for the opportunity to explore, learn, and grow. I ask for Your divine protection and guidance during my travels . Watch over me, keep me safe from harm, and lead me back to my loved ones with a heart filled with cherished memories and a spirit renewed.

Grant me safe travels and guide my steps throughout this journey. May Your presence be my constant companion, offering comfort and security. In Your name, I entrust my safe return, knowing that Your love and grace will surround me. Amen.

Long Prayer For A Safe Return

Heavenly Father, I come before You with a heart filled with both excitement and a touch of apprehension as I prepare to embark on this journey. I recognize the countless blessings and opportunities that travel brings, but I also acknowledge the uncertainties that can accompany it. Today, I offer up a prayer for my safe return.

Lord, I thank You for the chance to explore new places, to meet new people, and to discover more of this beautiful world You’ve created. I am grateful for the experiences and memories that lie ahead, and for the growth and learning that will inevitably take place.

Yet, as I step out into the world , I am mindful of the potential challenges and hazards that can arise during my travels. I humbly ask for Your divine protection and guidance. Watch over me, Father, as I journey from place to place. Guard me from harm and danger, whether seen or unseen. Be my shield and fortress in moments of uncertainty.

Grant me wisdom to make good decisions and discernment to navigate unfamiliar territory. Bestow Your peace upon me when faced with delays, inconveniences, or unexpected circumstances. May Your presence be a reassuring constant in my travels, providing comfort in unfamiliar surroundings.

As I explore the beauty of Your creation, help me to connect with the people I encounter, to see the world with fresh eyes , and to appreciate the diversity of cultures and landscapes. Let every experience be an opportunity for personal growth, for learning, and for a deeper understanding of Your vast and wondrous world.

Lord, I entrust my safe return into Your loving hands. May I come back to my loved ones with a heart full of cherished memories and a spirit renewed by the adventures I’ve had. Amen.

Prayer For My Friend’s Safe Return

Father, my heart is full of gratitude for the friendship You’ve blessed me with, and for the incredible adventures that my dear friend is embarking upon. As she journeys through distant lands, I offer up a prayer for her safe return.

Lord, thank You for the strength and courage that my friend exhibits as she explores new places, immerses herself in diverse cultures, and learns from the world around her. She is a testament to Your love and the incredible experiences You provide to those who seek them.

I pray, Father, for her safe travels. Watch over her on her journey, keeping her from harm and danger, and surrounding her with Your protective embrace. Guide her steps as she navigates unfamiliar terrain and encounters the unknown.

Lord, let her experiences be enriching and transformative. Help her connect with the people she meets, learn from the cultures she encounters, and come home with a heart full of cherished memories and a spirit enriched by the adventures she’s had.

I thank you for her safe return as I eagerly anticipate her homecoming. In Your name, I offer this prayer, knowing that You are the ultimate guardian of all who journey. Amen.

Prayer For My Spouse’s Safe Return

Lord, I come before You with a heart filled with love and concern for my dear husband, who is currently away from home. I entrust him to Your care and offer a prayer for his safe return .

Thank You for the blessing of my husband and for the love and companionship we share. I ask for Your divine protection as he travels, whether for work, adventure, or any other purpose. Watch over him, keep him from harm, and shield him from any dangers that may arise.

Guide his steps and keep him on a safe and secure path. Grant him wisdom to make sound decisions, discernment in unfamiliar situations, and patience during any unforeseen challenges. May Your presence be a constant comfort to him, especially when he’s far from home and family. Surround him with Your peace and security, providing reassurance throughout his journey.

As we eagerly await his return, may he come back to us with a heart full of cherished memories and a spirit enriched by the experiences he’s had. Bless his travels, Lord, and bring him safely back into our loving embrace. Amen.

Prayer For My Child’s Safe Return

Father God, I come before You, seeking Your divine protection and guidance for my beloved daughter who is currently traveling. As she journeys through new places and faces unfamiliar experiences, I place her well-being in Your loving and capable hands.

Lord, You know the depth of my love for her and the significance of her presence in my life. I earnestly pray for Your watchful eye to be upon her, guarding her every step and ensuring her safe return to our loving embrace.

May Your guiding hand lead her through her travels, shielding her from harm and danger, and providing comfort during her moments of vulnerability. Grant her wisdom, discernment, and good company to make her journey smooth and secure.

During this period of separation, may Your peace and assurance envelop both of us, providing comfort and strength. Help us maintain unwavering faith, knowing that Your protective care is with her, wherever she goes. Amen.

Prayer For Safe Return From Military Deployment

Heavenly Father, I come before You with a heart full of hope and concern, lifting up my loved one who is on a deployment , facing the challenges and uncertainties that come with serving our nation. I place their safety and well-being in Your loving and capable hands.

Lord, you understand the depth of my love for them and the significance of their presence in my life. As they embark on this mission, I fervently pray for Your divine protection and guidance. Watch over them and their fellow service members, shielding them from harm and danger. Provide comfort during their moments of vulnerability and uncertainty.

Guide them through their deployment, giving them wisdom , discernment, and the strength to overcome challenges. May Your guiding hand be with them, making their journey safe and secure.

During this time of separation, may Your peace and assurance envelop both of us, providing comfort and strength. Help us maintain unwavering faith, knowing that Your protective care is with them, no matter where they serve. Amen.

Final Thoughts

Let us remember that God’s protection and love accompany us on every path. If you have specific prayer requests or stories of safe returns that you’d like to share, please feel free to do so in the comments below. Together, we can offer support, encouragement, and thanksgiving for the journeys we’ve undertaken and those that lie ahead.

About The Author

Ann McNeals

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The return trip effect: why the trip home always feels shorter than the trip there

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The last time you visited a strange new place, you might have noticed that the return trip home felt quicker than the journey there, even though they were the exact same distance.

It turns out that lots of people experience this illusion — and it can even be replicated in a lab.

The latest evidence for what psychologists call the "return trip effect" is a new study published today in the journal PLOS ONE . In it, Ryosuke Ozawa and other scientists from Kyoto University had participants take simulated "trips" by watching 20-minute videos recorded by a person who'd walked city streets to reach a destination. Compared with those who "took" two one-way trips, round-trippers consistently recalled the second leg taking less time.

The round-trippers went from S to E, then (S) to (E) in the map at left. The control group went from S to E on the left, then S to E on the right. ( Ozawa et al./ PLOS ONE )

We still don't have a clear idea of what causes this illusion. But researchers do have some hypotheses — as well as thoughts on why the conventional wisdom might be wrong.

1) The way back feels more familiar, so it goes by faster

Familiarity is the oldest explanation offered up for the return trip effect — and was first suggested by researchers in the 1950s. There's some logic to it: other research has suggested that experiencing unfamiliar stimuli can make us perceive time as moving more slowly.

But recent experiments indicate this isn't the real reason for the return trip effect. In one 2011 study , researchers had some bike riders take a standard round trip, with the same route there and back. Other riders were instructed to take a different, unfamiliar route back. Surprisingly, both groups judged the return trip as taking less time.

2) We overestimate how long the return trip will take — making it seem quicker

(Getty Images)

Based on his analysis of the 2011 study, Dutch psychologist Niels van de Ven arrived at a different hypothesis. He argued that we often overestimate how long the return trip will take, so that it seems quicker when it actually happens.

"Often we see that people are too optimistic when they start to travel," de Ven told NPR . That means the first leg of the trip takes longer than expected. "So you start the return journey, and you think, 'Wow, this is going to take a long time,'" he said. As a result, the return leg takes less time than expected — and in this context, it feels shorter afterward.

Indeed, in the 2011 study, de Ven found that those who most badly misjudged how long the first leg of the trip would take were most susceptible to the return trip effect.

De Ven's hypothesis might also explain why people don't experience the return trip effect on routes they travel frequently — such as their daily commutes — because their expectations are generally in line with reality.

3) It's because we worry about getting places on time

(Shutterstock.com)

Other researchers have suggested that the return trip effect might occur because we often have a set time that we need to be at a destination, but are less likely to have an exact time we need to be home.

Having an appointment leads our brain to devote more resources to worrying about the time, which makes time seem to pass more slowly. "Returning to the starting point, although it is exactly the same distance, feels in many cases shorter than going there because time is not that important and so our attention is diverted or distracted by events occurring around us," psychologist Dan Zakay has written .

Still, there's lots of evidence to contradict this hypothesis. People report experiencing the return trip effect even when they're traveling for leisure — in which, presumably, getting to the destination isn't an urgent matter — or even if they have a time they need to be home. And in the new study, the participants weren't told they had any specific appointment to make — but still felt the illusion.

4) The return trip effect has something to do with hindsight and storytelling

The authors of the most recent PLOS ONE study don't have a specific explanation for the return trip effect, but they did notice something interesting going on among the people experiencing it.

The study participants were repeatedly asked to report, without looking at a clock, when they thought three minutes had passed as they watched the simulated trip movies. By this measure, both groups — those who took a round trip and those who did two one-way trips — perceived time to be passing at the same rate during the experiment.

It was only afterward, when they were asked to compare the two trips in retrospect, that the differences emerged.

Our brains keep track of time using very distinct systems

This gets at the fact that, as other research has shown , our brains appear to keep track of time using very distinct systems. One mathematically tracks the passage of time in the moment, with neurons that fire at specific rates and mechanisms that record how many times they've pulsed in a given period. Another, more language-based system looks back at previous events and tells stories about how long they took.

Because the illusion only showed up when the participants considered the trips in retrospect, it appears this second system was the one fooled by the return trip effect. The authors of the PLOS ONE study speculate that this may have happened because the participants were explicitly told they were taking a round trip — rather than any factors actually involving the actual route they took. For some unknown reason, the explicit awareness that it was a round trip may have altered their retrospective judgment of the passage of time.

The researchers would like to check this hypothesis by repeating the same experiment without using the phrase "round trip." But another study from 2011 provides some evidence it might be true. In it, participants watched dots move across a screen in a way that simulated movement, much like the old Windows 98 space screensaver :

( MSDOS5.tumblr.com )

Some of them were told they were "traveling" from Fukuoka, Japan, to Paris and back; others were going from Fukuoka to Paris to London. Even in this utterly unrealistic, simplified setting, only those told they were taking a round trip perceived the first leg as taking longer.

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The Hero's Journey: 12 Steps to a Classic Story Structure

The Hero's Journey is a timeless story structure which follows a protagonist on an unforeseen quest, where they face challenges, gain insights, and return home transformed. From Theseus and the Minotaur to The Lion King , so many narratives follow this pattern that it’s become ingrained into our cultural DNA. 

In this post, we'll show you how to make this classic plot structure work for you — and if you’re pressed for time, download our cheat sheet below for everything you need to know.

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What is the Hero’s Journey?

The Hero's Journey, also known as the monomyth, is a story structure where a hero goes on a quest or adventure to achieve a goal, and has to overcome obstacles and fears, before ultimately returning home transformed.

This narrative arc has been present in various forms across cultures for centuries, if not longer, but gained popularity through Joseph Campbell's mythology book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces . While Campbell identified 17 story beats in his monomyth definition, this post will concentrate on a 12-step framework popularized in 2007 by screenwriter Christopher Vogler in his book The Writer’s Journey .

The 12 Steps of the Hero’s Journey

The Hero's Journey is a model for both plot points and character development : as the Hero traverses the world, they'll undergo inner and outer transformation at each stage of the journey. The 12 steps of the hero's journey are: 

• The Ordinary World. We meet our hero.
• Call to Adventure. Will they meet the challenge?
• Refusal of the Call. They resist the adventure.
• Meeting the Mentor. A teacher arrives.
• Crossing the First Threshold. The hero leaves their comfort zone.
• Tests, Allies, Enemies. Making friends and facing roadblocks.
• Approach to the Inmost Cave. Getting closer to our goal.
• Ordeal. The hero’s biggest test yet!
• Reward (Seizing the Sword). Light at the end of the tunnel
• The Road Back. We aren’t safe yet.
• Resurrection. The final hurdle is reached.
• Return with the Elixir. The hero heads home, triumphant.

Believe it or not, this story structure also applies across mediums and genres (and also works when your protagonist is an anti-hero! ). Let's dive into it.

1. Ordinary World

In which we meet our Hero.

The journey has yet to start. Before our Hero discovers a strange new world, we must first understand the status quo: their ordinary, mundane reality.

It’s up to this opening leg to set the stage, introducing the Hero to readers. Importantly, it lets readers identify with the Hero as a “normal” person in a “normal” setting, before the journey begins.

2. Call to Adventure

In which an adventure starts.

The call to adventure is all about booting the Hero out of their comfort zone. In this stage, they are generally confronted with a problem or challenge they can't ignore. This catalyst can take many forms, as Campbell points out in Hero with a Thousand Faces . The Hero can, for instance:

• Decide to go forth of their own volition;
• Theseus upon arriving in Athens.
• Be sent abroad by a benign or malignant agent;
• Odysseus setting off on his ship in The Odyssey .
• Stumble upon the adventure as a result of a mere blunder;
• Dorothy when she’s swept up in a tornado in The Wizard of Oz .
• Be casually strolling when some passing phenomenon catches the wandering eye and lures one away from the frequented paths of man.
• Elliot in E.T. upon discovering a lost alien in the tool shed.

The stakes of the adventure and the Hero's goals become clear. The only question: will he rise to the challenge?

3. Refusal of the Call

In which the Hero digs in their feet.

Great, so the Hero’s received their summons. Now they’re all set to be whisked off to defeat evil, right?

Not so fast. The Hero might first refuse the call to action. It’s risky and there are perils — like spiders, trolls, or perhaps a creepy uncle waiting back at Pride Rock . It’s enough to give anyone pause.

In Star Wars , for instance, Luke Skywalker initially refuses to join Obi-Wan on his mission to rescue the princess. It’s only when he discovers that his aunt and uncle have been killed by stormtroopers that he changes his mind.

4. Meeting the Mentor

In which the Hero acquires a personal trainer.

The Hero's decided to go on the adventure — but they’re not ready to spread their wings yet. They're much too inexperienced at this point and we don't want them to do a fabulous belly-flop off the cliff.

Enter the mentor: someone who helps the Hero, so that they don't make a total fool of themselves (or get themselves killed). The mentor provides practical training, profound wisdom, a kick up the posterior, or something abstract like grit and self-confidence.

Wise old wizards seem to like being mentors. But mentors take many forms, from witches to hermits and suburban karate instructors. They might literally give weapons to prepare for the trials ahead, like Q in the James Bond series. Or perhaps the mentor is an object, such as a map. In all cases, they prepare the Hero for the next step.

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5. Crossing the First Threshold

In which the Hero enters the other world in earnest.

Now the Hero is ready — and committed — to the journey. This marks the end of the Departure stage and is when the adventure really kicks into the next gear. As Vogler writes: “This is the moment that the balloon goes up, the ship sails, the romance begins, the wagon gets rolling.”

From this point on, there’s no turning back.

Like our Hero, you should think of this stage as a checkpoint for your story. Pause and re-assess your bearings before you continue into unfamiliar territory. Have you:

• Launched the central conflict? If not, here’s a post on types of conflict to help you out.
• Established the theme of your book? If not, check out this post that’s all about creating theme and motifs .
• Made headway into your character development? If not, this character profile template may be useful:

Reedsy’s Character Profile Template

A story is only as strong as its characters. Fill this out to develop yours.

6. Tests, Allies, Enemies

In which the Hero faces new challenges and gets a squad.

When we step into the Special World, we notice a definite shift. The Hero might be discombobulated by this unfamiliar reality and its new rules. This is generally one of the longest stages in the story , as our protagonist gets to grips with this new world.

This makes a prime hunting ground for the series of tests to pass! Luckily, there are many ways for the Hero to get into trouble:

• In Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle , Spencer, Bethany, “Fridge,” and Martha get off to a bad start when they bump into a herd of bloodthirsty hippos.
• In his first few months at Hogwarts, Harry Potter manages to fight a troll, almost fall from a broomstick and die, and get horribly lost in the Forbidden Forest.
• Marlin and Dory encounter three “reformed” sharks, get shocked by jellyfish, and are swallowed by a blue whale en route to finding Nemo.

This stage often expands the cast of characters. Once the protagonist is in the Special World, he will meet allies and enemies — or foes that turn out to be friends and vice versa. He will learn a new set of rules from them. Saloons and seedy bars are popular places for these transactions, as Vogler points out (so long as the Hero survives them).

7. Approach to the Inmost Cave

In which the Hero gets closer to his goal.

This isn’t a physical cave. Instead, the “inmost cave” refers to the most dangerous spot in the other realm — whether that’s the villain’s chambers, the lair of the fearsome dragon, or the Death Star. Almost always, it is where the ultimate goal of the quest is located.

Note that the protagonist hasn’t entered the Inmost Cave just yet. This stage is all about the approach to it. It covers all the prep work that's needed in order to defeat the villain.

In which the Hero faces his biggest test of all thus far.

Of all the tests the Hero has faced, none have made them hit rock bottom — until now. Vogler describes this phase as a “black moment.” Campbell refers to it as the “belly of the whale.” Both indicate some grim news for the Hero.

The protagonist must now confront their greatest fear. If they survive it, they will emerge transformed. This is a critical moment in the story, as Vogler explains that it will “inform every decision that the Hero makes from this point forward.”

The Ordeal is sometimes not the climax of the story. There’s more to come. But you can think of it as the main event of the second act — the one in which the Hero actually earns the title of “Hero.”

9. Reward (Seizing the Sword)

In which the Hero sees light at the end of the tunnel.

Our Hero’s been through a lot. However, the fruits of their labor are now at hand — if they can just reach out and grab them! The “reward” is the object or knowledge the Hero has fought throughout the entire journey to hold.

Once the protagonist has it in their possession, it generally has greater ramifications for the story. Vogler offers a few examples of it in action:

• Luke rescues Princess Leia and captures the plans of the Death Star — keys to defeating Darth Vader.
• Dorothy escapes from the Wicked Witch’s castle with the broomstick and the ruby slippers — keys to getting back home.

10. The Road Back

In which the light at the end of the tunnel might be a little further than the Hero thought.

The story's not over just yet, as this phase marks the beginning of Act Three. Now that he's seized the reward, the Hero tries to return to the Ordinary World, but more dangers (inconveniently) arise on the road back from the Inmost Cave.

More precisely, the Hero must deal with the consequences and aftermath of the previous act: the dragon, enraged by the Hero who’s just stolen a treasure from under his nose, starts the hunt. Or perhaps the opposing army gathers to pursue the Hero across a crowded battlefield. All further obstacles for the Hero, who must face them down before they can return home.

11. Resurrection

In which the last test is met.

Here is the true climax of the story. Everything that happened prior to this stage culminates in a crowning test for the Hero, as the Dark Side gets one last chance to triumph over the Hero.

Vogler refers to this as a “final exam” for the Hero — they must be “tested once more to see if they have really learned the lessons of the Ordeal.” It’s in this Final Battle that the protagonist goes through one more “resurrection.” As a result, this is where you’ll get most of your miraculous near-death escapes, à la James Bond's dashing deliverances. If the Hero survives, they can start looking forward to a sweet ending.

12. Return with the Elixir

In which our Hero has a triumphant homecoming.

Finally, the Hero gets to return home. However, they go back a different person than when they started out: they’ve grown and matured as a result of the journey they’ve taken.

But we’ve got to see them bring home the bacon, right? That’s why the protagonist must return with the “Elixir,” or the prize won during the journey, whether that’s an object or knowledge and insight gained.

Of course, it’s possible for a story to end on an Elixir-less note — but then the Hero would be doomed to repeat the entire adventure.

Examples of The Hero’s Journey in Action

To better understand this story template beyond the typical sword-and-sorcery genre, let's analyze three examples, from both screenplay and literature, and examine how they implement each of the twelve steps. 

The 1976 film Rocky is acclaimed as one of the most iconic sports films because of Stallone’s performance and the heroic journey his character embarks on.

• Ordinary World. Rocky Balboa is a mediocre boxer and loan collector — just doing his best to live day-to-day in a poor part of Philadelphia.
• Call to Adventure. Heavyweight champ Apollo Creed decides to make a big fight interesting by giving a no-name loser a chance to challenge him. That loser: Rocky Balboa.
• Refusal of the Call. Rocky says, “Thanks, but no thanks,” given that he has no trainer and is incredibly out of shape.
• Meeting the Mentor. In steps former boxer Mickey “Mighty Mick” Goldmill, who sees potential in Rocky and starts training him physically and mentally for the fight.
• Crossing the First Threshold. Rocky crosses the threshold of no return when he accepts the fight on live TV, and 一 in parallel 一 when he crosses the threshold into his love interest Adrian’s house and asks her out on a date.
• Tests, Allies, Enemies. Rocky continues to try and win Adrian over and maintains a dubious friendship with her brother, Paulie, who provides him with raw meat to train with.
• Approach to the Inmost Cave. The Inmost Cave in Rocky is Rocky’s own mind. He fears that he’ll never amount to anything — something that he reveals when he butts heads with his trainer, Mickey, in his apartment.
• Ordeal. The start of the training montage marks the beginning of Rocky’s Ordeal. He pushes through it until he glimpses hope ahead while running up the museum steps.
• Reward (Seizing the Sword). Rocky's reward is the restoration of his self-belief, as he recognizes he can try to “go the distance” with Apollo Creed and prove he's more than "just another bum from the neighborhood."
• The Road Back. On New Year's Day, the fight takes place. Rocky capitalizes on Creed's overconfidence to start strong, yet Apollo makes a comeback, resulting in a balanced match.
• Resurrection. The fight inflicts multiple injuries and pushes both men to the brink of exhaustion, with Rocky being knocked down numerous times. But he consistently rises to his feet, enduring through 15 grueling rounds.
• Return with the Elixir. Rocky loses the fight — but it doesn’t matter. He’s won back his confidence and he’s got Adrian, who tells him that she loves him.

Moving outside of the ring, let’s see how this story structure holds on a completely different planet and with a character in complete isolation. 

The Martian 

In Andy Weir’s self-published bestseller (better known for its big screen adaptation) we follow astronaut Mark Watney as he endures the challenges of surviving on Mars and working out a way to get back home.

• The Ordinary World. Botanist Mark and other astronauts are on a mission on Mars to study the planet and gather samples. They live harmoniously in a structure known as "the Hab.”
• Call to Adventure. The mission is scrapped due to a violent dust storm. As they rush to launch, Mark is flung out of sight and the team believes him to be dead. He is, however, very much alive — stranded on Mars with no way of communicating with anyone back home.
• Refusal of the Call. With limited supplies and grim odds of survival, Mark concludes that he will likely perish on the desolate planet.
• Meeting the Mentor. Thanks to his resourcefulness and scientific knowledge he starts to figure out how to survive until the next Mars mission arrives.
• Crossing the First Threshold. Mark crosses the mental threshold of even trying to survive 一 he successfully creates a greenhouse to cultivate a potato crop, creating a food supply that will last long enough.
• Tests, Allies, Enemies. Loneliness and other difficulties test his spirit, pushing him to establish contact with Earth and the people at NASA, who devise a plan to help.  
• Approach to the Inmost Cave. Mark faces starvation once again after an explosion destroys his potato crop.
• Ordeal. A NASA rocket destined to deliver supplies to Mark disintegrates after liftoff and all hope seems lost.
• Reward (Seizing the Sword). Mark’s efforts to survive are rewarded with a new possibility to leave the planet. His team 一 now aware that he’s alive 一 defies orders from NASA and heads back to Mars to rescue their comrade.
• The Road Back. Executing the new plan is immensely difficult 一 Mark has to travel far to locate the spaceship for his escape, and almost dies along the way.
• Resurrection. Mark is unable to get close enough to his teammates' ship but finds a way to propel himself in empty space towards them, and gets aboard safely.
• Return with the Elixir. Now a survival instructor for aspiring astronauts, Mark teaches students that space is indifferent and that survival hinges on solving one problem after another, as well as the importance of other people’s help.

Coming back to Earth, let’s now examine a heroine’s journey through the wilderness of the Pacific Crest Trail and her… humanity. 

The memoir Wild narrates the three-month-long hiking adventure of Cheryl Strayed across the Pacific coast, as she grapples with her turbulent past and rediscovers her inner strength.

• The Ordinary World. Cheryl shares her strong bond with her mother who was her strength during a tough childhood with an abusive father.
• Call to Adventure. As her mother succumbs to lung cancer, Cheryl faces the heart-wrenching reality to confront life's challenges on her own.
• Refusal of the Call. Cheryl spirals down into a destructive path of substance abuse and infidelity, which leads to hit rock bottom with a divorce and unwanted pregnancy. 
• Meeting the Mentor. Her best friend Lisa supports her during her darkest time. One day she notices the Pacific Trail guidebook, which gives her hope to find her way back to her inner strength.
• Crossing the First Threshold. She quits her job, sells her belongings, and visits her mother’s grave before traveling to Mojave, where the trek begins.
• Tests, Allies, Enemies. Cheryl is tested by her heavy bag, blisters, rattlesnakes, and exhaustion, but many strangers help her along the trail with a warm meal or hiking tips. 
• Approach to the Inmost Cave. As Cheryl goes through particularly tough and snowy parts of the trail her emotional baggage starts to catch up with her.  
• Ordeal. She inadvertently drops one of her shoes off a cliff, and the incident unearths the helplessness she's been evading since her mother's passing.
• Reward (Seizing the Sword). Cheryl soldiers on, trekking an impressive 50 miles in duct-taped sandals before finally securing a new pair of shoes. This small victory amplifies her self-confidence.
• The Road Back. On the last stretch, she battles thirst, sketchy hunters, and a storm, but more importantly, she revisits her most poignant and painful memories.
• Resurrection. Cheryl forgives herself for damaging her marriage and her sense of worth, owning up to her mistakes. A pivotal moment happens at Crater Lake, where she lets go of her frustration at her mother for passing away.
• Return with the Elixir. Cheryl reaches the Bridge of the Gods and completes the trail. She has found her inner strength and determination for life's next steps.

There are countless other stories that could align with this template, but it's not always the perfect fit. So, let's look into when authors should consider it or not.

When should writers use The Hero’s Journey?

The Hero’s Journey is just one way to outline a novel and dissect a plot. For more longstanding theories on the topic, you can go this way to read about the ever-popular Three-Act Structure or here to discover Dan Harmon's Story Circle and three more prevalent structures .

So when is it best to use the Hero’s Journey? There are a couple of circumstances which might make this a good choice.

When you need more specific story guidance than simple structures can offer

Simply put, the Hero’s Journey structure is far more detailed and closely defined than other story structure theories. If you want a fairly specific framework for your work than a thee-act structure, the Hero’s Journey can be a great place to start.

Of course, rules are made to be broken . There’s plenty of room to play within the confines of the Hero’s Journey, despite it appearing fairly prescriptive at first glance. Do you want to experiment with an abbreviated “Resurrection” stage, as J.K. Rowling did in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone? Are you more interested in exploring the journey of an anti-hero? It’s all possible.

Once you understand the basics of this universal story structure, you can use and bend it in ways that disrupt reader expectations.

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When your focus is on a single protagonist

No matter how sprawling or epic the world you’re writing is, if your story is, at its core, focused on a single character’s journey, then this is a good story structure for you. It’s kind of in the name! If you’re dealing with an entire ensemble, the Hero’s Journey may not give you the scope to explore all of your characters’ plots and subplot — a broader three-act structure may give you more freedom to weave a greater number story threads. ​​

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Whether you're a reader or writer, we hope our guide has helped you understand this universal story arc. Want to know more about story structure? We explain 6 more in our guide — read on!

6 responses

PJ Reece says:

25/07/2018 – 19:41

Nice vid, good intro to story structure. Typically, though, the 'hero's journey' misses the all-important point of the Act II crisis. There, where the hero faces his/her/its existential crisis, they must DIE. The old character is largely destroyed -- which is the absolute pre-condition to 'waking up' to what must be done. It's not more clever thinking; it's not thinking at all. Its SEEING. So many writing texts miss this point. It's tantamount to a religions experience, and nobody grows up without it. STORY STRUCTURE TO DIE FOR examines this dramatic necessity.

↪️ C.T. Cheek replied:

13/11/2019 – 21:01

Okay, but wouldn't the Act II crisis find itself in the Ordeal? The Hero is tested and arguably looses his/her/its past-self for the new one. Typically, the Hero is not fully "reborn" until the Resurrection, in which they defeat the hypothetical dragon and overcome the conflict of the story. It's kind of this process of rebirth beginning in the earlier sections of the Hero's Journey and ending in the Resurrection and affirmed in the Return with the Elixir.

Lexi Mize says:

25/07/2018 – 22:33

Great article. Odd how one can take nearly every story and somewhat plug it into such a pattern.

Bailey Koch says:

11/06/2019 – 02:16

This was totally lit fam!!!!

↪️ Bailey Koch replied:

11/09/2019 – 03:46

where is my dad?

Frank says:

12/04/2020 – 12:40

Great article, thanks! :) But Vogler didn't expand Campbell's theory. Campbell had seventeen stages, not twelve.

Comments are currently closed.

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Why return home.

Return Home is here to assist you understand the changing family dynamics that come when a loved one experiences serious mental illness . We assist in ways that therapists aren’t able to, yet we encourage both approaches for a holistic path to Family Mental Wellness .

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Our goal is to assist you and your loved ones Return Home. The name Return Home is seen as a literal returning to a place where one lives, and more metaphysically as returning home to the body.

This journey home is deeply personal, for you and for your loved one. Your family may have experienced adverse events and stigmatizing labels impacting how you live day-to-day. Recently it may feel like a challenge to communicate and connect with others. You may even have difficulty simply relaxing . We ask you to trust the process.

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Why Does It Take Longer to Go There Than to Come Back?

Anticipation and the return trip effect..

Posted May 25, 2020 | Reviewed by Kaja Perina

We’ve all had the experience of going on a road trip and feeling like we’re never going to get to our destination. And yet, the return trip home seems so much shorter. If you took the same roads and encountered similar traffic conditions, then the time should be about the same. But with the return trip effect, the journey home feels shorter than the outward trip.

The return trip effect has to do with the subjective experience of time. At the biological level, we have a number of internal clocks that are relatively precise. Our hearts beat to a steady rhythm, and our bodies go through daily cycles. And yet at the psychological level, our perception of time is imprecise and greatly influenced by our mood. We’ve all had situations where time seemingly stood still and others when it just flew by. But our ability to judge the actual passage of time is quite limited.

Psychologists have long been interested in the subjective experience of time in general and in the return trip effect in particular. Several explanations for the effect have been offered as well, each with some evidence in support. In a recent article in the journal Social Psychology and Personality Science , University of Miami psychologist Zoey Chen and colleagues offer a novel explanation for the return trip effect, which they test in a series of experiments.

One explanation for the return trip effect involves familiarity. The idea is that the subjective perception of time slows down during unfamiliar experiences. As a result, the outbound journey feels longer than the return trip. However, research shows that the return trip effect occurs even with familiar journeys such as your daily commute.

An alternative explanation is that return trip effect results from a violation of expectations. People often underestimate how long it will take to do something. When they go on an unfamiliar trip, they find the journey takes longer than expected. But on the return trip, they now know how long it will take, so there’s no violation of expectations. Again, the problem is that the return trip effect still occurs with familiar trips. You know how long your commute takes, but still the trip to work seems longer than the trip home.

Chen and colleagues propose a novel explanation for the return trip effect which they call the anticipation account. The researchers start with the observation that the two legs of the journey typically involve different levels of anticipation. You are certainly more excited about going on your vacation at the beach than you are about your return to your humdrum life afterward. And even during your morning commute, you’re usually thinking ahead to all the things you have to do when you get there.

The researchers also point out that there are cases where the return trip effect works in reverse. Imagine you’re at the supermarket when you get an emergency call from a family member. Your trip back home will certainly feel longer than usual.

According to the researchers, anticipation heightens arousal, raising attention and causing us to be more alert. Arousal also produces an apparent time elongation. If you’ve ever been in a serious automobile accident or other highly dangerous situation, you no doubt had the experience of time slowing down.

Recall that the return trip effect is but one instance of the larger phenomenon of the subjective perception of time. So it isn’t necessary for experimental participants to actually go on a journey. Rather, a virtual trip there and back will do just as well to elicit the return trip effect.

In the key experiment that Chen and colleagues performed, participants responded to a series of questions online. They were then told that they were about to leave the current web site to go to another site to watch a short video clip before returning to the survey. Before the video started, a blank screen displaying a spinning circle appeared for 15 seconds. When the video ended, the same spinning circle appeared for another 15 seconds, after which the survey resumed. At the end of the experiment, the participants were asked to estimate how long it had taken the video to load (the outbound trip) and how long it took to return to the survey.

To manipulate anticipation, the participants were given different expectations about the video they were about to watch. Half of the participants were told that the video they were about watch was very funny and that people generally enjoyed it. (In fact, it was a Saturday Night Live sketch.) The other half were told that the video was boring and that most people disliked it. (This time, it was a clip on how to do accounts receivable in QuickBooks.)

If the return trip effect is due to anticipation during the outbound journey, then it should show up in the funny video condition but not in the boring video condition. Essentially, this is what the researchers found. In both conditions, the outbound trip was estimated as longer than the return trip. However, the difference was quite small in the boring video condition but quite large in the funny video condition.

Another interesting finding was that the participants who watched the funny video were quite accurate in their estimation of the duration of the outbound trip. In all other cases, they underestimated the time span. This suggests that when we are in a heightened state of arousal, as for example when we’re anticipating our arrival at our destination, our perception of the passage of time is rather accurate. But when we’re not aroused, we perceive time as passing faster than it actually does.

Other experiments reported in this article, including one in which participants made actual physical trips to other locations, yielded similar results. Overall, they provide strong support for the anticipation account, which posits that our arousal at looking forward to our arrival at our destination causes time to appear to slow down. This, in turn, results in the return trip effect.

The work of Chen and colleagues on the return trip effect opens ample opportunities for further research, and I’m really looking forward to reading more about it. But I know it’s going to feel like an awfully long wait.

Facebook image: Vera Petrunina/Shutterstock

Chen, Z., Hamilton, R., & Rucker, D. D. (2020). Are we there yet? An anticipation account of the return trip effect. Social Psychology and Personality Science. Advance online publication. DOI: 10.1177/1948550620916054

David Ludden, Ph.D. , is a professor of psychology at Georgia Gwinnett College.

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Cat accidentally shipped in an Amazon return box found 650 miles from home after 6-day journey

A cheeky feline made the journey of a lifetime from Utah to California in a very peculiar vessel - an Amazon return box.

Owner Carrie Clark has an Amazon warehouse worker to thank for helping to bring her and her pet back together. The Mom of two, from Salt Lake City, Utah , was left distressed when she recently lost her beloved cat Galena.

She posted about her concerns on social media, informing others that her much-loved kitty disappeared on Wednesday, April 10, from their home. "We searched every nook and cranny in our home, neighbourhood … neighbourhoods surrounding us for a week," she posted on Facebook to no avail.

READ MORE: 'My life is great 40 years after my dad killed my rapist on live TV - I wouldn't trade a thing'

A week later she thought the situation was hopeless when there was still no sign of the cat. But Carrie was in for a massive shock when on April 17, she received a phone call from a veterinarian in California who claimed she had her missing kitty.

Carrie didn’t think she "would ever see her again", she told Fox News . "I went into shock and didn’t believe the caller," she added.

She had to confirm the cat was in fact hers so verified her phone number, address and the veterinarian she used for pet care with the vet in California as all of this information could be found on her microchip. But it was still a mystery how the cat had found her way to the Golden State.

The vet helped Clark find out how Galena made her journey, revealing she had jumped into an Amazon return package and was accidentally shipped to a return centre warehouse in California.

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A surprised Amazon night worker named Brandy Hunter was informed by another warehouse worker that the animal had been found in a returned parcel six days after it had been sent. "A live cat was literally the last thing they were expecting to see when they opened the box," she said.

Brandy said she immediately took the animal to a vet and her microchip showed just how far she had travelled. "Without the microchip and the kindness of Brandy [Hunter], we never would have found her again," Carrie wrote on Facebook.

She and her husband, Matt Clark, hopped on a plane to California to bring their beloved pet home. "Galena’s been ‘my kitty’ for six years — she and I have a very close bond, and it felt incredible to be there for her in her time of need," Carrie said.

They were lucky the cat did not suffocate on her journey. The feline friend miraculously survived because the side of the box, which contained five pairs of steel-toed work boots, had split open. Her blood work came back completely normal when she was checked over at the vet.

"We can’t thank Brandy [Hunter] enough for rescuing our baby and all the kindness and love that she shares to everyone," Carrie gushed.

Returning Home After Travelling, Let’s Talk About It

By Author Roxanne Weijer (she/her)

Posted on Last updated: January 30, 2023

About a month ago we arrived home after a 15 month trip through Asia and North-America. We had traveled continuously – moved from place to place – and felt it was time to visit home again: the Netherlands.

Most of our friends and families didn’t know we were coming back, and surprising them is the best! It’s a rollercoaster: we are on a high in the first two weeks – seeing everyone again is so exciting!

But then comes the ‘fall’ and our stomach starts to feel a bit weird…

Post-Travel Depression

Okay – that sounds awfully tragic – but the fact is: often travelers, who return home after traveling for a while, experience a dip.

Nomadic Matt calls it a post-trip depression: it’s often emotionally harder to come home than go away. To us, it feels slightly different, as we know we will go travel again.

But still, at home, we are confronted with the ‘norm’ and our different way of thinking.

Everyone and everything at home seem the same, yes there are new babies and some people moved or changed jobs but the way of living or their beliefs haven’t changed.

And yet, everything feels different – because we’re different. We aren’t surrounded by like-minded people anymore.

We get many questions like ‘Are you going to look for a real job now?’ ‘Are you going to start building a pension now?’ ‘What are the plans, when will you leave again?’.

Questions that fit in the ‘norm’ and traditional mindset of security first (go to school, get a job buy a house, get kids, retire, and maybe travel then).

Questions that aren’t important to us and people don’t understand – and we totally get it. But is difficult when you know you’re your happiest self away from that ‘security’.

We’re happy with what we do, we’re happy together and that’s what’s important to us!

The Next Step

So where are we going next? It sounds weird but when you on the road for sixteen months, you don’t think about where to go next. We go wherever the wind brings us.

We visit places that excite us, where we meet interesting people or attend special events we want to experience.

Before coming home, the idea was to leave again at the end of August/beginning of September. We bought a working holiday visa for New Zealand that expires mid-September.

But right now, we don’t feel like going there. I went there once and I know it’s a fantastic country that I obviously want to show to Maartje.

Just not right now.

Other trips like a castle trip through Europe and connecting with fellow-bloggers in Bali, visiting Sri Lanka, India, and the Phillippines have been on our minds for a while.

And more and more we feel those are the next steps. We haven’t booked anything yet, but slowly but surely a plan is formed!

Beating The Blues

Right now we are focusing on creating new content, connecting with people in the Netherlands, and thinking about new things that we would like to do more in the future: photoshoots for example.

We’re working on our relationship – the dynamics are changing again with all the external influences – as we try to grow our business.

It’s a process, and although we’re lucky to do this work with the two of us – it’s also difficult when you’re two people with different ideas!

What also really helps to beat the post-travel blues is to keep traveling! Being back home doesn’t mean you can’t be a traveler.

We’re traveling all over the Netherlands and see places we haven’t seen before. It’s fun to experience your home country from a travelers’ mindset – go try and be a tourist in your own country, grab a Lonely Planet, look up blogs, and see things through new eyes.

Try out new restaurants, bars, clubs: it’s all so fun and exciting, just like traveling! Find like-minded people, meet up with travelers through Couchsurfing (hangouts) for example, or simply through Instagram.

We’re so amazed by how many amazing, like-minded people have already joined our journey and are so excited to grow every day! Thank you!

And don’t forget: if you have dreams: go for it. Everyone deserves to make their dreams happen ♡

And if you’re struggling with post-trip depression: reach out to us, leave a comment below, email us , send us a DM or PM . We’re here for you!

Our true home is being surrounded by the unknown. The road is where we belong  – Nomadic Matt

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Friday 31st of December 2021

We are expats who travel a lot.Whenever we are back in India,in between jobs ,I find hard adjusting.BTW thats home ,where I was born and brought up. One there is uncertainty of finding job overseas again or should we 'settle back' as everyone sort of suggest.We are parents ,so most in between breaks means putting kids in school and assembling all paraphernalia that comes with it.Its crazy. To top of it there is re adjustment in terms of weather,surroundings , changed family equations. If we move to a new country the same crazy circle start again-the first six months as we are friendless and trying to adjust to everything new,we miss home.

Roxanne & Maartje

Monday 24th of January 2022

Sorry to hear about the struggle!

Fátima Estévez

Tuesday 25th of June 2019

I just wrote a post talking about a similar subject on my blog. I moved from Mexico to Spain two years ago and I just spent the last two weeks at home back in Mexico for the first time and everything felt the same and yet very different. I believe that as we enrich ourselves with new cultures and experiences we as individuals change a bit by this experiences. Also, people back home don't just hit pause on their lives, they are in constant change as well, and as you said, we go back and people have kids or got married they are also exposed to different situations than we are, even if their lives haven't changed as much. I think going back home and realizing this kind of makes you a more tolerant person as you have to face this cultural and emotional change. Keep up the good work!

Thank you so much for these lovely words! I definitely think travelling and exposure to other cultures makes you humble - it surely changes you culturally and emotionally! After coming back again, we feel much better - our families understand our lives better now and we realise we don't have to choose between 'travel' personality and 'back home' personality - it becomes a mix in a way. It's such an interesting thing, ain't it?

Sunday 12th of August 2018

This resonates with me deeply! I did solo traveling for a while, and I came back lost and bummed and confused as ever, more aimless than when I was 'aimlessly wandering'. And also I felt the same (if not worse) after repatriating from my expat post in Russia back to the states, and I definitely felt the blues a good six months until I adjusted to the new norm. Traveling is ALWAYS a cure-all treatment :D. By the way, y'all are so cute!

Monday 13th of August 2018

Thank you for your comment! We totally get you, it's definitely about finding a new balance between 'travel you' and 'normal you' when you're back!

Saturday 11th of August 2018

I love how you've addressed this. So many blogs create the romantic vision of dropping everything to travel the world but very few address the reality of returning. We had been travelling for 9 months and returned to Scotland for a few weeks last month. It was surreal - as if time had stopped. In many ways we loved it, catching up with friends as if we saw them yesterday but in so many more ways we were delighted to be back on the road again! You've nailed it in how you describe beating the blues - but the definite trick is to just keep going ;)

Definitely! Thanks for responding, it means a lot. We are very happy to continue travelling soon :D

The last time i was last home, last November, I maybe had a similar experience. I knew I was only gonna home for 2 weeks and loved seeing my family and friends but by the end of it I was happy to be on the road again. I wasn’t depressed but being home was weird, for various reasons.

After 8 more months travelling I started wanting to be less transient so now am settling, temporarily, in Melbourne. I’ve got a bike, a job and am finding a flat share. It’s great. :)

I’ve already got a few future trips mentally planned though, I’ve just gotta find a way to balance that with the equally important desire to feel ‘at home’.

Good to see you two got somewhere with all your blogging.

Hi Ashok!! We totally get you, the first weeks were just 'weird'. Now it's starting to 'itch' again to start travelling. On the road, we've felt at home in many places and we always love to base ourselves somewhere - temporarily. Love to meet you again someplace in the world! Melbourne always seems to be a great idea :D

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Stowaway Cat Gets From Utah to California in Amazon Returns Package

Galena, a 6-year-old shorthair, was found in an Amazon warehouse a week after she climbed into a 3-by-3-foot cardboard box at her owner’s home.

By Yan Zhuang

When Carrie Clark got a phone call on April 17 from a veterinarian in California informing her that her cat, which had vanished from her Utah home a week earlier, had been found some 500 miles away, her first reaction was disbelief.

“I could not believe that it was true,” Ms. Clark said in an interview on Sunday night. “I told her: I think this is a prank.”

It wasn’t. Galena, her 6-year-old American shorthair, had sneaked inside a 3-by-3-foot cardboard Amazon returns package alongside five pairs of steel-toed boots. Then the cat was transported two states away to one of the company’s warehouses, where it was discovered by Amazon employees.

Galena survived the unexpected journey without any food or water, Ms. Clark said.

Despite her ordeal, Galena was in relatively good health with no issues apart from mild dehydration, Ms. Clark said. Two factors had helped: One seam on the box had come unglued, allowing oxygen to circulate, and mild weather kept Galena from overheating or freezing.

“It’s really a miracle that she was able to survive,” Ms. Clark said.

Ms. Clark said she thought that Galena got into the box while her husband was packing it, by jumping inside when he left to fetch some tape to seal it up.

“She doesn’t meow a lot and she loves boxes, so for her, she was really happy in that moment, I’m sure,” Ms. Clark said. “Although I’m sure that wasn’t the case later on.”

Since the box already weighed over 30 pounds, Ms. Clark and her husband, who live in the city of Lehi, near Salt Lake City, did not notice the added weight of a stowaway when they mailed it on April 10, she said.

But they did quickly notice that their shy, indoor cat was missing that same day. After days of searching the house and the neighborhood turned up nothing, worst-case scenarios started running through her mind, Ms Clark said. Had Galena darted outside without anyone noticing? Had she been snatched up by a predator? Or end up in the river behind the house?

“We had absolutely no idea what had happened,” Ms. Clark said. “It was really challenging; I was definitely in a lot of grief.”

Then she received the call from a veterinarian in Riverside, Calif. An Amazon employee, Brandy Hunter, had brought Galena in, and the veterinarian identified her through her microchip and contacted Ms. Clark.

Ms. Hunter, who could not immediately be reached for comment, said on Facebook that she received a call from co-workers who had opened a returns box and found a cat inside.

“We have gotten some pretty crazy things in my time but never anything like this!” Ms. Hunter wrote. She said she had driven to the warehouse to catch and look after the cat, which she said had spent days in the box “in the back of a trailer full of items being returned to Amazon.”

Amazon did not immediately respond to requests for comment. After products are dropped off at an Amazon returns center, they are inspected for damage and signs of use to determine if they can be re-listed for sale, according to the company.

When Ms. Clark got the call, she and her husband quickly booked a flight to California. The next day they arrived at the veterinarian’s clinic, where they were reunited with Galena.

“When I got to hold her again, she stopped shaking and knew that I was there for her,” Ms. Clark said. “It was such a miraculous moment.”

Yan Zhuang is a Times reporter in Seoul who covers breaking news. More about Yan Zhuang

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A Return Home: A Guided Journey of Courage, Strength And Love Paperback – March 1, 2020

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“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” - Aristotle

A Return Home provides revolutionary new self-discovery practices that anybody can use to discover your true identity and inner greatness, regardless of your age, where you live. You will learn powerful, new introspection and self-healing tools that author, Roni Roehlk, Life Coach, Reiki Master and Mindful Meditation Practitioner, has used to help thousands of clients. In doing so they have discovered their highest expressions of their being, finding happiness and tranquility in their lives for the first time ever.

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• Tools to give yourself permission to transform into the greatest most compelling expression of yourself, guiding you directly into the highest expression of your being.
• How to develop powerful, emotional intelligence, intuition that will give you the self-confidence to be strong and courageous and find your inner beauty.
• How to use daily meditation exercises and positive affirmations to overcome self-doubt and low self esteem and reduce anxiety. This creates calmness and inner peace.

Now is the time for you to embark on a journey into the greatness of your brilliance. This journey isn't for the light-hearted, but for those that are ready to embrace their light and reclaim their power.

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• Print length 123 pages
• Language English
• Publication date March 1, 2020
• Dimensions 5.25 x 0.28 x 8 inches
• ISBN-13 979-8618577595
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Product details

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0858V3WH2
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (March 1, 2020)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 123 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8618577595
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4.8 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 0.28 x 8 inches
• #384,436 in Self-Help (Books)
• #856,688 in Religion & Spirituality (Books)

About the author

Roni roehlk.

Roni Roehlk is a Transformation Life Coach, a Reiki Master, a Mindful Meditation Practitioner and a long-time Hairdresser. She has worked with thousands of clients whose lives she has changed through inspiration and the tools she is here to share with you. Her approach is to guide you through a series of practices that will help you shine the light within your soul. The practices she provides will uncover your brilliance while embracing the seemingly dark parts of your soul you have claimed to be wrong and unacceptable to the world. By doing this, you will find the gifts and talents you have been denying yourself to shine. This will lead you into a place of coming into the wholeness of your beauty.

Roni found herself year after year trying to find the light of her soul. After her own awakening and the real inner work, she provides for you here, her life unfolded into a world she only once dreamed of.

Join her here as she we will be taking you on a journey into the greatness of your brilliance. This journey isn't for the light hearted, but it is for those that are ready to embrace their light and reclaim their power.

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Du’a when returning from a journey

When we are on a journey we are usually not in our normal routine and this can affect our duty to Allah Ta’ala.

So when returning home it is important to remind ourselves of these duties. 

Our beloved Nabi ﷺ would read the following Du’a frequently when returning from a journey.

Let’s learn it and read it whenever we are returning from our journeys too Insha’allah.

آيِبُوْنَ تَائِبُوْنَ عابِدُوْنَ لِرَبِّنَا حَامِدُوْنَ

Ayiboona Ta’iboona ‘Abidoona Li-Rabbina Hamidoona

Translation (with brief explanation):  We are returning (from our Journey). We are asking for f orgiveness (from Allah Ta’ala so He can be happy with us and so we return home free from sin). We are worshipping (our Allah Ta’ala always and we are ready to continue to worship Him). We are praising our Rabb (as He is always so kind and favourable towards us all).

Benefits of reciting this Du’a:

1) Rewards and blessings for following a Sunnah.

2) Forgiveness from Allah Ta’ala.

3)  Good mental preparation to return home and continue with worship, Dhikr and Du’a to Allah Ta’ala.

4) Returning home with the good intentions found in this Du’a will make Allah Ta’ala very happy.

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Te Tiriti o Waitangi could be heading home after ‘long and arduous journey’

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The original nine documents of the Treaty of Waitangi in the Constitution Room at Archive NZ in Wellington. Photo / Mark Mitchell

After 184 years, Te Tiriti o Waitangi could be on its way home for good - although is not yet known when that will exactly be.

Speaking to RNZ, Waitangi National Trust Board chair and Ngāti Hine leader Pita Tipene said discussions around the potential return of the Treaty documents to the North had been ongoing, with board members meeting with officials two years ago.

Board members also met with Archives NZ chief archivist Anahera Morehu (Ngāti Whātua, Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Kahu) a few days before this year’s Waitangi Day commemorations, he said.

In a statement to RNZ, Morehu confirmed Internal Affairs - the department responsible for Archives NZ - had engaged in “early discussions with Ngāpuhi-nui-tonu to hear their wishes for these taonga”.

“We are open to hearing more from iwi about future options for where these documents could be housed, how they will be housed and other considerations.

“As we approach 2035 and 2040, the 200-year anniversaries of He Whakaputanga and Te Tiriti, we expect to spend more time with iwi Māori, and tangata Tiriti, discussing these important kaupapa.”

Tipene described the conversations as beginning “mutually” and conducted in good faith.

The board realised the work involved in housing the documents on the Waitangi Treaty Grounds and everyone needed to be a part of the ongoing discussions, he said.

Storing the Treaty

The nine sheets of Te Tiriti o Waitangi are currently being housed at the National Library in Wellington. They are part of the He Tohu exhibition, opened to the public in 2017, alongside He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni - the 1835 Declaration of Independence and the 1893 Women’s Suffrage Petition.

The documents are housed in custom-built display cases that employ precise environmental controls and lighting to prevent deterioration.

Morehu said ongoing conservation and security for the documents was critical.

“The security arrangements at He Tohu balance the physical security of the documents with their need to be accessible to people. They are housed in a beautiful but also highly secure environment.

“Prior to the opening of He Tohu, several years of conservation work and research took place to inform the best preservation environment for each document. Each individual document case controls temperature, humidity and lighting conditions not only for preservation, but for access.

“For example, lighting is carefully calibrated to protect the inks, paper and parchment and also to give the best viewing experience,” she said.

Tipene agreed the security and care of the documents was vital and the board was open to discussion around how the facilities at the Treaty Grounds could be adjusted to properly house the documents.

Talks were still in their infancy, but the board was very positive about the future, he said.

Only a year after its signing in 1841, the documents were almost destroyed when a fire engulfed a government office in Auckland, only saved by record clerk George Elliot arriving to rescue them.

The documents were then discovered in 1908 in the basement of the Old Government Buildings in Wellington, rat-bitten and deteriorated.

Between 1913-15 the documents were housed at the Dominion Museum where they underwent “conservation treatment” to restore the parts of the documents that remained intact. The original sheets were glued to new canvas and the portions damaged by rats reproduced thanks to facsimiles made in the 1870s.

The writings on the documents have also seen significant fading due to light exposure over the decades.

The remainder of the century saw the documents were travel to various parts of country including Masterton, the National Archives, the Alexander Turnbull Library and even the safe of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand - often locked away in boxes, unavailable for public viewing.

Only in 1940, to celebrate the centenary of its signing, have the documents returned to the Treaty grounds.

In 1991, Archives New Zealand’s Constitution Room officially opened and the nine sheets of te Tiriti o Waitangi were put on permanent display for the first time.

Morehu said most of the damage to Te Tiriti occurred in the late 19th century, long before the National Archives was established in 1957.

Since then and for as long as Te Tiriti has been in our care, its safety and preservation for future generations has been our priority - as it is for all our taonga.

“As technology advances, our conservators and archivists learn more about the taonga and how to care for them,” she said.

‘It has been on a very long and arduous journey’

Ngāpuhi elder and academic Hone Sadler said it was treated like a “door stop” in the years following its signing.

“It has been on a very long and arduous journey - and it hasn’t been treated well. We now have at Waitangi a couple of museums that can be upgraded to ensure that there is no more decaying of the documents.”

Returning the documents to Ngapuhi was of the utmost importance, he said.

“The documents have been treated by Ngāpuhi as being a covenant. A covenant is a scared document, and generally, covenants are made with God. With regard to the Treaty, our tūpuna placed their souls and minds on those documents in terms of moving forward into the future. Thus, Ngāpuhi has taken on the task of being the caretaker, or guardian. It’s a sacred document.”

Most of the signatures on the document are the tā moko, or facial tattoos, of chiefs because not many people were literate at the time the Treaty was signed, he said.

“Beyond that, they really believed it going to be part and parcel of this [country] going forward.”

Of equal importance was the return of of He Whakaputanga, the Declaration of Independence of the United Tribes of New Zealand, signed by Northern rangatira in 1835 to establish an independent Māori nation.

“It was the inductory agreement. If we apply a whakapapa frame work to it, He Whakaputanga is the matua and Te Tiriti is the tamaiti. The Treaty was born out of He Whakaputanga.” Sadler said.

Morehu said Archives New Zealand will ensure those tūpuna will have the manaaki they need to ensure access and care for future generations to come.

“The tūpuna, whose signatures are forever bound to the kōrero of these parchments, will guide us as we move towards the 200-year anniversaries. Wherever these tūpuna may rest in the future, we recognise the significance and impact on the people of Aotearoa,” she said.

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