An emotional journey through identity, belonging, and memory

When Dorothy is torn away from her home in The Wizard of Oz, her journey becomes something more than an adventure. It unfolds as an evolutionary cycle that mirrors our relationship with home throughout life. In her search for a “better life,” Dorothy follows roads, faces challenges, and meets companions along the way, yet it is precisely this journey that shapes her understanding of what truly matters. Home is not merely a physical place, but a space of safety, identity, and meaning. In the end, her words “There’s no place like home” condense an awareness gained through experience and discovery.

From the perspectives of psychology and sociology, home is understood in much the same way. Beyond walls and furniture, it is an emotional space shaped by significant people and by objects tied to memory and childhood. It is where a sense of belonging is formed, creativity is encouraged, and memories are created that sustain our sense of identity over time. Research shows that environments perceived as safe foster curiosity and exploration in childhood, and in adulthood contribute to emotional well-being and resilience.

This perception of home, however, is not static. Over the course of life, the idea of “home” evolves. It shifts from being exclusively linked to childhood to becoming a more flexible construction, shaped by experiences, relationships, and personal choices. In adulthood, home may be a person, a routine, a city, or even a sense of stability rather than a specific place. This evolution explains why the notion of home is so closely tied to experience and memory, and why its meaning is constantly redefined.

From this understanding social constructs emerge such as Christmas, whose narrative revolves around family values, closeness, and the transmission of traditions. The magic of the season lies, to a large extent, in the revaluation of a space that evolves alongside us. Objects change, rituals adapt, family members grow, and new dynamics appear, yet home remains the central stage where affection, safety, and creativity are experienced.

It is important, however, not to idealise the concept of home. Not all family spaces are safe, and not all childhoods are defined by stability. For this very reason, fantasy also plays a compensatory role. It allows us to imagine, project, and, in many cases, reconstruct an idea of home when real experience has fallen short. In this sense, The Wizard of Oz does not merely celebrate the return, but the need to redefine what we mean by home and belonging.

The experiential factor is therefore key. Like Dorothy, we need to walk certain paths and learn to value what we have in order to recognise that true magic lies in whatever each of us understands as home. Journeys, whether real or imagined, allow us to rediscover the importance of what is close and familiar, transforming the ordinary into something extraordinary. Christmas, then, becomes an ideal moment to reconnect with home as a space of fantasy, where every gesture, ritual, and object tells a story that belongs to us and helps define who we are.

This Christmas season in Bilbao, The Wizard of Oz musical offers the opportunity to experience this reflection first-hand. It recreates that sense of a fantastical home, the blend of familiarity and wonder Dorothy encounters on her journey, reminding us that fantasy does not always require leaving. Sometimes, it only asks us to look more closely at what already surrounds us.

Because, as Dorothy ultimately concludes, “there really is no place like home.”

By the LETSGO Pen, Claudia Pérez Carbonell, on December 22nd, 2025