The Purpose for Coddiwompling

Kudos to our friend Michelle G. for finding the perfect article for us, “Homebase is the new home” by @theangrytherapist, that describes our why, our purpose for coddiwompling!

A Caveat: this article assumes one has the means to establish a reliable, comfortable “homebase” anywhere, even for a few days or for life…which we acknowledge is a first-world privilege. Another Caveat: We definitely know interesting people who have never left their homebase so it’s not a requirement in life; while also recognizing that some of the worst complainers are those with the most means and privilege. It seems then, that the thing that matters most is attitude - being curious, humble, and intentional - no matter how small or big we define our radius of life.

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The old idea of home was rooted in permanence. One address. One zip code. One rhythm you repeated until it became invisible. You built your life around it. Your habits, your identity, your comfort, your excuses.

But the world has changed. And so have we.

Home now isn’t a single place you cling to. It’s a place you return to. A base. A grounding point. Somewhere you exhale, recharge, reset your nervous system. Somewhere that holds your things, your people, your rituals. Somewhere familiar enough to feel safe, but not so fixed that it keeps you small and wondering.

Homebase means you live somewhere for six to nine months of the year. You build community. You know the coffee shop barista’s name. You find your fitness, your beach, your walking route. You settle just enough to feel rooted.

And then you leave.

Not to escape, but to remember how big the world actually is.

You go somewhere new. A different city. A different country. A different culture. You hear another language. You eat food made with spices you don’t recognize. You notice how people move, love, argue, rest. You remember that the way you live is not the way everyone lives. And that realization quietly expands you.

Because when you only live in one place, like I didn’t for 51 years of my life, your perspective shrinks without you noticing. Your problems start to feel universal. Your stress feels normal. Your routines feel permanent. You forget there are a thousand other ways to exist.

Travel, when done intentionally, breaks that spell.

It humbles you. It softens you. It reminds you that life is not meant to be optimized into sameness. That growth comes from contrast. From discomfort. From seeing how others define success, joy, family, and time.

Homebase living is not about running away. It’s about expanding your reference points. It’s about understanding that life isn’t meant to be consumed from one angle, one perspective. That our life pallet needs new dishes. That creativity needs new spaces. That gratitude often comes from comparison.

You come back to your homebase different each time. A little wiser. A little less attached. A little more awake. Alive.

You realize you don’t need more stuff. You need more experiences. You don’t need more certainty. You need more aliveness. You don’t need a bigger house. You need a bigger lens.

This is what it means to really live.

Not to accumulate.

Not to settle.

But to move through the world with curiosity, humility, and intention.

Home isn’t a fixed point anymore.

It’s the place you return to after becoming someone new.

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