THERE is nothing like travelling overseas to make you appreciate your life at home.

As I packed my suitcase to prepare for the journey back to Australia I started to think of the things I can't wait to have again.

My own comfortable bed.

A decent cup of coffee with milk that tastes like real milk.

A can of coke not served at room temperature.

Permanent access to reliable wifi.

I will treasure the memories of this holiday that took us to Scotland, Ireland, England and Dubai.

We learned a great deal about history and other cultures, as we visited various great cities and small towns, explored historic ruins and castles and visited grand, new sky-rise buildings.

But it was the unexpected events along the way that made me learn a lot about myself, and what was really important in life.

You see, our travel plans took a slight detour in the second week of our adventure when my partner ended up in a Scotland hospital bed for a few days.

That's really when I discovered home isn't only where the heart is.

I'll always call Australia home, but Home is where the family is; Super mum, super dad and the super kids, wherever we may be.

Travelling through the narrow roads of Scotland on the search for highland cows, crammed in some London basement hotel room not much bigger than our bathroom at home, even more crammed with hundreds of others on the London Underground, or enjoying a hearty meal in an Irish pub named O'Neills.

All home, because we were all together.

As much as I am grateful to the doctors and nurses who took such good care of my partner during his unexpected visit, I'm even more grateful that he was well enough to continue our travels, so we could look at our experiences with a whole new perspective.

And now the holiday is almost over we can look towards our homecoming, knowing we will appreciate more of what we have.

I, for one, know I plan to tell my family more of how I feel about them, how much I love them and appreciate them. I've got one important thing to tell them before we arrive back home.

I bags the first shower.