An Autumn Pilgrimage: Rediscovering Home in New England's Sacred Places

I just got back from an autumnal trip to Maine. I grew up in New England, just north of Boston, and lived in and around New Hampshire and Maine from age 24 to 34 before moving to California. When I first moved, I can’t tell you how homesick I was. California felt so different from New England. It was like I had moved to a new country, with all the intense upheaval that comes with that. I was anxious, sad, and constantly longing to go home.

My husband and I used frequent flyer miles, so for the first couple of years, I went back to New England every six months. I would see my friends and family, visit my favorite places, and feel connected again. It really helped. Before I left, my therapist had warned me about how intense moving across the country could be and advised me to go home as often as I needed. I followed her advice, and it made a huge difference.

After about a year and a half, I started to feel more comfortable in California. I got to know the sprawling suburban Silicon Valley, and I found new special places, like the library and a cute corner store I could walk to. We made friends, and slowly, we built enough of a life there that it started to feel like home.

Then, two years into my new life in California, I had a thunderbolt life experience that changed everything and resulted in me cutting off contact with my entire family of origin. There were deep, dangerous, toxic beliefs running through my family, and I realized the only way for me to truly live was to break free from all of it. This isn’t everyone’s journey with family, but it was mine, and it’s been great.

At that point, I stopped going home. I didn’t want to see anyone or risk running into anyone. My homesickness transformed into a deep desire to be fully immersed in my life—my life. The one I was living for myself, not for others or to manage anyone else’s emotions.

So, when I say I got back from a trip to Maine a few days ago, it’s kind of a big deal. I went back because it felt like the right time. I really wanted to see my best friend, and I was also desperate to experience a New England autumn again.

I lived in California for six years before my husband and I moved up to Washington state. It’s beautiful here, and autumn is nice, even pretty, but there is nothing like a New England autumn. The way the muggy summer days transition into crisp autumn air and deep blue skies, when the whole world changes from green to every shade of red, orange, and yellow. Walking through the old cemeteries that seem to be around every corner, stomping through the leaves, and getting that spooky chill from hearing them rattle along the roads.

When the plane landed in Maine, I had a sudden rush of emotion. It felt like I was finally giving myself a vital nutrient I’d been missing all these years. I realized then that my connection to my homeland wasn’t just about the people; it was about the land itself.

The first thing I did on this trip was visit my favorite hiking spot. It felt like I was being nourished from the ground up. This place is sacred to me. I love it, and I walked around in awe, maybe even in reverence, of the river and the beautiful trees that live there.

Washington feels more like home to me than California ever did, but this trip reminded me that part of my heart will always belong to New England. My feet are attached to that land. And even though I’ve left, I need to return, to pilgrimage back to the sacred spots of my youth, to tap in and remember where I’ve been and where I’m going.

I’m curious—is there a place you need to pilgrimage to right now? A spot that when you go there, you feel nourished in body, mind, and soul? This week, I’m learning just how important going on a journey to sacred places is for the soul-nourished life.