One of the things I enjoy the most about traveling is the experience of discovering new things. Sometimes we go back to places that we already know and some others, we try new ones. Yet each experience is always different. This was my second visit to Belgium and this time we spent one week in Ghent and another one in Antwerp. In Ghent we stayed at a friend’s house while they were in Norway. They have a beautiful flat with a lovely garden and a sweet cat called Lucy who was the perfect company while finding inspiration and writing for my blog. In Antwerp we stayed at the same flat we rented last year. It had slightly changed since our last time there, it had new pictures hanging on the walls, different crockery and other decoration items but it was all very nice as usual.

One morning I was making tea and this thought came to my mind: “tea at home away from home” and it was a nice and curious feeling. Any place where you spend time at and you feel at ease, where you can unwind, relax and wake up every morning and make tea (or coffee), rapidly becomes your “home”. We start building routines, we choose our favourite spots of the house, we take care of it, we spend time there and we adapt to it without even noticing. I didn’t need much to feel just right and I am more and more convinced that it is because we are these self-contained moving houses that make a “home” wherever we go.

So I had many cups of tea those days, enjoying that feeling of being at home away from home, reinventing myself, daydreaming, experiencing my usual and different cup of tea in every way. They came in a different language, with the smell of greenery, lots of rain, the sound of the tram, krieks, good friends and unforgettable times.

Something as easy as a cup of tea every morning to feel at home? I wish life was that simple but I think this is more about making room in our lives to enjoy simple pleasures no matter where we are, to feel comfortable with ourselves and our surroundings, wether it is at home or away from home.

I want to dedicate this post to our amazing and loving friends: Johan and Carmen (and family), Medhi and Ruth (and family), Femke and Joram (and Lucy) for having us at their homey flat, Robin and Marlies, Mark and Guy (and those we couldn’t see this time) for making this trip so special! Belgium feels like home everytime we go because of you! Big hugs!