As weary winter travelers make their way back from holiday destinations, or put the decorations away and prepare their spaces for the year ahead, we reflect on stories of homecoming. From Antarctic researchers racing the clock to Indigenous peoples and ponies reuniting, these stories are about coming home — or what makes home homey in the first place.

The Great Antarctic Escape

By Robin George Andrews

When borders began to close during the early stages of the pandemic, three-dozen scientists and military personnel aboard the Spanish scientific research vessel Hespérides were faced with a daunting challenge: If they didn’t reach Argentina before its borders were shut and its flights were grounded, they may be stranded on the waters far from home, as the virus swept across the world.

The Return of the Ojibwe Pony, the Midwest’s Native Horse

By Roxanne Hoorn

For centuries, Ojibwe ponies roamed the Great Lakes region of North America, living alongside the Ojibwe people. But with the persecution of Indigenous peoples in the early 20th century, the ponies’ population dropped from several thousand to four. Heroic efforts and careful breeding helped bring the population back, but mostly on Canadian soil. Now, a small group of leaders are helping bring the ponies back home to the American Midwest — and to the Ojibwe people.

Tom Ottertail and an Ojibwe pony moving ice blocks in 1934.
Tom Ottertail and an Ojibwe pony moving ice blocks in 1934. Courtesy Ojibwe Horse Society

Trapped in Museums for Centuries, Maori Ancestors Are Coming Home

By Charlotte Ming

The practice of preserving one’s head after death is an act of love and respect among the Māori people of New Zealand. The toi mokos, as these heads are called, are meant to stay within the family, but some have ended up in far off lands. Thanks to New Zealand’s repatriation program, the toi mokos, along with other Māori ancestor remains, are being returned to their communities.

All the Sweet and Surprising Smells That Remind Us of Home

By Eric Grundhauser

Smells can unlock old memories, and transport us back in time. The aroma of a baking pie can take us back to grandma’s kitchen. A specific perfume can bring about memories of a favorite elementary school teacher. Smells—both good ones and bad ones—often remind us of home. In this story, Atlas Obscura readers share the smells that transport them home, from moth balls and boiled cabbage to baked beans and Lemon Pledge.

Household chores such as mowing the lawn can be a smell explosion.
Household chores such as mowing the lawn can be a smell explosion. Skitterphoto / CC

Podcast: A Long Walk Home

By the podcast team at Atlas Obscura

In 2019, Bernie Harberts, also known as “the beast whisperer,” and his two mules set off to cross the United States on foot—and hoof. They left their home in North Carolina and headed to Iowa. While they had many great adventures and lessons learned on their travels, Harberts’s greatest takeaway may have been his newfound appreciation for life at home.