Home Is Where the Heart Is (Or Maybe Where You Stand)

I recently listened to a TED Talk by writer Pico Iyer called Where Is Home? and it lingered with me long after it ended. Pico speaks about living between cultures and countries — Indian by descent, born in England, long based in the US, deeply connected to Japan, and constantly travelling. When asked where home is, his answer was simple and powerful:

“Home is not just the place where you sleep — it’s the place where you stand.”

That line stopped me in my tracks.

I was born in Canada to parents who were also born there, yet our family roots stretch back to Scotland, England, Ireland and long ago France. Today, I live in Australia. When people ask where I’m from, the answer depends on the context, the moment, and sometimes even how I’m feeling that day.

Australia is home. It’s where I live, work, build relationships, and shape my days. And yet, when I book a flight to visit my family, I still find myself saying, “I’m going home for a visit.” That phrase slips out naturally, without thinking — and I don’t try to correct it anymore.

For a long time, I wondered if that meant I was somehow unsettled or divided. But listening to Pico reframed it for me. Maybe home doesn’t need to be a single dot on a map. Maybe it can exist in layers, memories, people, and moments.

Home can be where you feel understood.

Home can be where you feel grounded.

Home can be where your values live — where you stand.

At different points in our lives, we stand in different places. Our sense of belonging shifts as we grow, change, and move through the world. That doesn’t mean we’re lost. It may simply mean we’re allowed more than one version of home.

So perhaps home really is where the heart is — not because it’s fixed, but because it’s flexible. And maybe that’s not something to resolve, but something to honour.

Funny enought for me its the people no matter where I am standing, here I am in Wollongong, Sydney, Canada, Melbourne, Queenscliff, Germany and Belgium but more importantly are the people standing with me.

“Home isn’t defined by borders or birthplaces — it’s found in the moments, people, and values that anchor us, wherever in the world we may be standing.” ~ Carol Cooke

If you would like to watch Pico’s Ted Talk it can be found on the link here: