Traveling homebody.

For the next few days, that’s what I will be. A trip—part business, part relaxation—will take me far from home. And that makes me anxious.

I love adventure, experiencing new places, meeting new people, and breaking from routine. My vacation history is full of amazing experiences all around the world.

Still, I do not like to be away from home. Leaving my children behind is difficult, even when they will be in the best possible hands. Regardless of how immersed I may become in my work or a dinner party or some poolside reading, I will wonder how things are going back home.

I will miss home.

So when today’s make something prompt suggested merging two things that don’t go together, two words collided in my mind, creating a label for the person I need to be this week: traveling homebody.

To visualize the concept, I made an icon:

Judging by the weight and volume of my suitcase, you might think I’ve packed an entire household’s worth of “stuff” for a few days away. That’s part of how I cope with leaving home. If I’m ready for anything that might happen at my far-away destination, that’s one less cause for anxiety.

Can you relate?