The warmth of familiarity
“I’m weirdly excited to get back to doing things like laundry, evening walks, and the usual routines,” I told my husband, K, on the flight back from our amazing trip to Bali. He looked at me, bewildered. I could almost hear his thoughts: What a weirdo.
It got me thinking about how, after a long vacation, I often feel a kind of travel fatigue and start to crave the comfort of my predictable routine. A month ago, though, I couldn’t wait to break free from the shackles of the daily rut. Doesn’t that sound paradoxical? Well, I suppose that’s the thing about plans and routines — they may be taxing to make and draining to do, but over time, they become something that’s definitely comforting. For me, there’s a perfect vacation sweet spot between 4 and 9 days. It’s long enough to unwind and truly enjoy, but not so long that it starts to feel like a drag. It’s the ideal balance where relaxation and adventure meet just right. That’s what works for me, at least.
Have you wondered though, as to why some of us(guilty as charged) keep reaching for the same movie, rewatching it over and over again? Or why can we recite every line along with Rachel in Friends without getting bored? Or why, time and again, do we find ourselves revisiting the same chapter in Harry Potter, especially “The Prince’s Tale”?
There’s something incredibly comforting about revisiting things we’ve already experienced. It’s no longer about the jump scares, the plot twists, or even the jokes that make you roll on the floor. It’s about returning to something familiar — something that once soothed us. It’s in those heartwarming scenes that you find the emotional hug you need, or in the heart-wrenching moments that remind you of how you braved it or in those rib-tickling jokes that still make you laugh, even though you knew exactly what was coming. Revisiting something you love transports you back in time, almost like an escape. It evokes memories and forgotten feelings, as if you’re turning the pages of a familiar chapter from the past. It’s in those preemptive re-laughs, re-tears, re-jumps, and re-surprises, that you find the comfort in familiarity.
Often, we dismiss routines and discipline as monotonous — the humdrum of everyday life. But, in reality, it’s in this monotony that it’s true value lies. The early morning gym selfies, the midday coffee ritual, the evening walks where you discuss about your future, the quiet moments spent with the NYT crosswords at night — these are the little things that anchor us, offering stability in an otherwise unpredictable world. In a fast-paced, ever-shifting environment, these practices provide the grounding we need. There’s something quietly satisfying, even joyful, in knowing exactly what comes next. It’s the foundation of my tranquility.
