The Terrace, the Routine and the Shoreline You Miss

Daily pleasures are what make a place feel like home.

By Neil Solomon · 3 min read

Picture a couple named Joan and Peter. Every morning, coffee goes out to a terrace. Every evening, the same chairs, the same view. They have not done anything special. They are happy.

Joan says, "I could do this for years."

Peter says, "Ask me again in a year."

That small exchange holds most of what I want to say. Daily pleasures are what make a place feel like home. They are also what we test when time passes.

Mauritius: life on the terrace

One woman describes a life lived mostly outdoors, on her terrace. I read that as a picture of ease. The house is not a place to hide from the weather. It is part of the day. A pleasure like that is simple, free, and always there when you wake up.

Another voice from the same island is wry. He writes about people who seem to pretend to be somebody they are not. I do not read that as an insult. I read it as a reminder that where you live, you also meet each other's performances. Even in a lovely place, daily life includes some eye-rolling.

Morocco: when routine fills up

In Morocco, I find a different feeling. Someone writes that the routine has become too full, and wonders about going back to their home country. They are restless. Nothing is wrong, exactly. It is that the days have a sameness, and the novelty that first thrilled them has worn off.

I think many people reach this point, whatever country they pick. The first year is full of firsts. The third year is full of repeats. Whether the repeats feel like comfort or like a cage depends on you.

Ghana: dreaming of a shoreline

A writer in Ghana dreams of a coastline in Australia. It is a homesick note, not a complaint. Even someone happy in a new place can find a particular beach pulling at them. A smell, a light, a sound of waves, and the heart goes home.

My reading

I do not think a place can promise daily joy. But I do think you can plan for it. Ask what small, free things fill your day now. A walk, a bench, a table where you read the paper. Then ask whether the place you are looking at has more of those, or fewer.

I also think restlessness is not a verdict. It could mean the day needs a new thread, such as a class, a group, a visit. It could also mean you miss somewhere else. It is worth listening to which.