This was a post I began day before, but amidst trying to get some lab work done along with the paperwork involved for it and hence the delay.
The prompt being : You’re embarking on a yearlong round-the-world adventure, and can take only one small object with you to remind you of home. What do you bring along for the trip?
It’s almost a year since I’ve moved to Philadelphia, and this has left me with a perpetual feeling of homesickness in my subconscious – ready to jump out at the slightest altercation. it’s no wonder that I jumped at the opportunity to write out this post, because let’s face it – ‘home’ is beautiful. This small word is able to pull across such powerful images in my head. Home equates to the craziness of the family, hot summers with mangoes and sensual mango juice advertisements, THE BEACH, friends’ homes and the old man who sells tender coconut.
So, when I read this question, my head jumped to my immediate need (call it a variant of Maslow’s hierarchy) – food. I was thinking of dosas, idlis and sambhar. I thought, hey, it’d be cool to carry a pack of sambhar powder. And the next scenario was coffee – the filter kaapi kind. Or maybe one of the beautiful scapbook-of-sorts that my friends have made. Or to delve into cliched tales of taking with you the memories, the scents, flavours and sounds of Chennai.
All gastronomical delicacies aside, I realized that I would probably take along a book. Buying books has always been this reward since I was little. A book was always a present for something significant in my life. Most of the ones I’ve read are books from libraries. Picking one from my small collection wouldn’t be difficult. I’d quite possibly one of my books in the Enid Blyton collection. This would be the perfect companion, reminding me of all the times I’ve skipped meals just to be curled up with this book. It’s comforting.
Oh, happy summer solstice, folks!
Write. Fill a shot glass with words. That’s one ounce.
Jumping Gene 
A book is a great thing to carry along with you to remind you of home. If I were given that choice I would definitely pick a book too! I would carry my copy Deathly Hallows. That book is the most used one and it has all the feel and smell of home!
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Ooh, if HP, I would pick the fifth book. I loved that – although my copy is in a very over-read tattered condition that I won’t take it out of the house.
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That’s a great choice. I have carried many books from home, when I came to US. Lord of the rings was one of them.
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Wow! I didn’t have a lot of space in my suitcases when I moved to Philly. I just managed one Mitch Albom book.
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