The Places We Seek, The Places We Return To | 009

The places we long for, the places we revisit, and even the places we avoid all have something to say about who we are. Aaron gently explores what those landscapes ask of us in return. Through stories of family, travel, memory, and the restorative pull of nature, he reflects on how our relationship with place reveals our deepest longings, our need for belonging, and the subtle ways our environment shapes who we are becoming. Rather than asking whether a destination can change us, this conversation gently invites listeners to notice what they are asking of the places they love, avoid, imagine, or dream about. Moving through themes of self discovery, personal growth, healing, reflection, emotional wellbeing, mindfulness, and the search for inner peace, the episode offers a calm space to consider the difference between escaping ourselves and intentionally stepping toward the life that is quietly calling us forward. It is an invitation to settle into curiosity, to listen beneath the surface of longing, and to discover that the most meaningful journey may be the one that helps us return to ourselves with new eyes.Invitations to Consider:Why human beings repeatedly return to certain places and what those patterns reveal about identity.The difference between seeking a place for healing and expecting a place to rescue us.How belonging is experienced through geography, memory, and the body.A reflective practice for uncovering "the place beneath the place" by exploring the deeper needs hidden beneath longing.How to discern whether a place is calling us toward growth or pulling us back into an earlier version of ourselves.About Aaron:Aaron Tabacco, PhD, has spent more than thirty years guiding people through growth and change, often in complex and high-stakes environments. He currently serves as the Director of Staff Experience at a major academic health sciences university. With a background spanning nursing, neuroscience, education, coaching, and mediation, his work centers on helping individuals and organizations navigate identity, connection, and transformation with greater clarity and care.Known for his grounded presence and compassionate communication, Aaron works with students, clinicians, faculty, executives, and senior leaders across healthcare and other industries. His approach integrates relational depth, reflective practice, and a commitment to creating more humane, integrated ways of working and living. He works in San Francisco, California, and lives in Vancouver, Washington, where he continues a lifelong engagement with writing, music, and the landscapes of the Pacific Northwest alongside his husband and three adult sons.https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-tabacco-phd-83359b9/https://lucusgroup.com/homehttps://substack.com/@aarontabacco?r=b5ap9&utm_medium=ioshttps://www.youtube.com/@CirclesEdgesEmail: [email protected] for listening!Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!Subscribe to the podcastIf you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.Leave us an Apple Podcasts reviewRatings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you are enjoying the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.This show was brought to you in part by the Magic Thread Media Network. To learn more visit: https://magicthreadmedia.com/