h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

... because I am fortunate enough to live where I want to live.

Unfortunately there's no proper english word for the german "Heimat"; you could translate it as 'home' but that comes not even close. "Heimat" is where you have your roots, where your soul lives, where your spirit flows free, where you 'live' from the bottom of your heart.

I live with those I love (my family) in my own house with my own garden, so why should I try to go away?

Of course, it is still allowed to dream a bit, but I can only dream of places that I already know ...

San Francisco, CA, USA, would be a nice place to be, as would Rome, Italy. On the other hand, it's always difficult and most times deceptive to judge a place just by the few day or weeks spent there on holidays ... so I rather keep in mind that I'm lucky to have my own little paradise with me wherever I go, because I have a place to come home to.

Or, as the last line of a german TV cult series ("Irgendwie und Sowieso" = 'Anyhow and anyway') said: "Früher oder später muss jeder heimgehen, egal wo das dann ist..." = 'Sooner or later everyone got to go home, no matter wherever that may then be...'

Jeremy

home for me is wherever I happen to be. Paradise, well I think on earth paradise for my is being able to live in different countries at various times during the year. To be able to choose where I live depending on the mood I'm in. today I'd like to live near the seaside. have a view on the sea, feel the breeze in my hair, feel the freshness of a coming summer. Perhaps I'd like to live in Alaska tomorrow. A climate alien to me, i wonder how I would feel?

But most of all I would like to go into space. To go to the Planet Pluto, look at the faraway sun and turn around to take into view the great unknown before me. Such a massive place out there, and we're stuck on a little planet. I think paradise would definitely be out there somewhere. I admit it wouldn't really resemble paradise as in a beautiful countryside, fantastic beaches or hills or an amazing cultural activity in some cities. But it would be paradise in my mind. it would feel like I'm finally going somewhere thats worth going to. I'd feel happy and in the end paradise is not about the places we visit but about the emotions of the heart.