Hospitality Means Finding Your Home Away From Home.

Ever since I was little, the word home, or in Spanish and how I remember it through my memories, “hogar”, meant feeling the most comfortable.

It simply meant feeling at peace and happy wherever I was. It was a feeling of comfort and security.

Growing up in Mexico, living in Canada, and now living in the US has made the meaning of what I call home even stronger. 

I’ve come to find that it’s really not about the place, the country, or the neighborhood you find yourself in, but it’s about the people around you. 

I was 18 years old when it hit me. I left what I called “mi hogar” for the first time and my perspective of the world was never the same again. It opened my eyes to so many different things, and one of them was how magical it felt to be away from home but to be able to feel at home. 

Even though I was new to everything around me and felt out of my comfort zone most of the time, it was when I connected with people that I found that feeling. It felt almost like a warm hug from someone I knew.

For all of you who have ever lived anywhere else than where you grew up, I know you know exactly what I’m talking about. 

It was that year that I decided I wanted to dive into the hospitality industry as more than just my career but as a lifestyle. I realized that “leaving home” was never about leaving an actual house but it was about leaving your memories, traditions, and people behind. 

But then, hospitality came along and introduced itself to me.

I met people in the exact same situation I found myself in and I realized how we were all carrying the same luggage: the feeling of home. 

That’s when I knew that the true magic of hospitality was people. 

People are always telling a story, we just have to be willing to listen. We’re all carrying different versions of what home means to us, hoping to find people along the way to share that with.

We’re all connected through experiences, and that’s really what makes us want to come back to a place. 

I bet you go back to your favorite coffee shop because the barista greets you by your name and asks about how your interview went the other day.

I bet you stay in the same hotel because the staff is from your country and they have a special treat for you every time you visit. 

I bet you also go back to the same restaurant because the server makes you feel like you’re family.

That’s why the true magic of hospitality is finding a home wherever you go. 

The world is waiting for you the moment you leave your home to introduce you to a different version of that place. And not because of the beautiful destinations you’ll find, but because of the people around you. 

Hospitality is being able to find your home away from home.

Because feeling at home means finding people who become your home.