How to Find Home (Even When You Feel You're Far From It)
A French vegan café reminded me what belonging really means
I was headed to a tiny vegan deli in France, frantically rehearsing in my head the French I had so earnestly learnt in my twenties, and thankful it could finally serve some purpose: to place my dinner order.
I pushed the door open, expecting the veritable sweet scent of the pastries and a soft French melody floating through the air. But I was greeted by something wildly different.
Different, not because it was foreign. But because it was familiar.
Blasting through the café was none other than Mukkala Mukkabala.
That chaotic, joyous, utterly unapologetic rhythm of my childhood.
My surprise was met by a woman behind the counter. She simply had the brightest smile.
To me, she didn’t look like the stereotypical Indian, and she spoke impeccable French.
I was curious and I asked her half-playfully, “Do you like Hindi songs?”
She lit up and shrieked, “Hindi songs are for my heart. They make me happy!”
She was Moroccan.
What followed was less a conversation and more a cascade.
She went on to tell me about weddings in Morocco that almost always featured Indian music. She raved about how her country is a beautiful mosaic of cultures —Indian, Chinese, African, Jewish, Christian, Muslim — all living side by side in harmony.
She seemed eager to visit India, and I assumed she wanted to soak up the culture first-hand.
But, when I asked her what she wanted to do when she visited, she said,
“See Shah Rukh Khan!”
She did not disappoint.
I walked back with a smile stitched to my face.
I felt oddly light, like something unspoken had been lifted.
A little reflection made me realize it was indeed the feeling of familiarity in a foreign land. The kind that eases unspoken tension, softens invisible walls, and tells you:
“You’re not as lost as you think.”
So, how can you feel at home anywhere?
Here are 3 simple things I’ve learnt from that day and many others:
1. let joy lead the conversation
Connection doesn’t always start with deep talk.
Sometimes it starts with a shared song, a smile, or a Shah Rukh Khan reference.
Let your joy show. It opens doors.
2. drop the pressure to belong perfectly
You don’t need to be fluent in a language or wear the right outfit.
You just need one thread of shared feeling. That’s enough.
3. redefine “home” for yourself
Home isn’t always a location. I believe it’s a state of connection, to yourself and to the moment you’re in.
It’s simply an ease in your body. A deep breath with no translation needed.
That’s what I teach and write.
Whether it’s through mindful movement, slow living, or storytelling, I help women create a home in their foreign bodies, postpartum.
Because “getting back to normal” isn’t the goal.
Coming home to yourself is.
Hi, I’m Swathi — a mom, writer, women’s coaching specialist, and fellow traveller in the world of slow, intentional living.
Welcome to The Bloom, a gentle corner of the internet where I write about movement, mindset, and motherhood — and what it means to come home to yourself.
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