From a recent journal entry:

As I closed myself off from outside stimuli, I could feel myself sliding into a dream space: a wooden dock of sorts. I didn’t get its full shape, but it felt instantly familiar. I could feel that my home was nearby, or at least home for tonight’s dreams.

It’s interesting that we can get this feeling of familiarity and belonging in so many contexts. Spaces that you haven’t physically inhabited can feel just as real and warm, if not more, than those that you have.

One great example of this, for me, is the world of Shenmue. I played the original game many times over as a teenager, and could probably still trace a rough map of many of the game’s areas. When I picture them in my mind, they’re as real as any place I have visited or any place I’ve called home.