I have noticed a pattern in my dreams. There are places that I dream, that remain consistent, that have no equivalence in the waking world.

When I dream them, I can navigate to them, and am confident in where they are located, despite the fact that their location changes from dream to dream. Frequently they are places in the cities and towns I’ve grown up in, but not always.

Often times I’ll forget their familiarity until I dream of them again - so I’ve written this travelogue to document them; mainly for myself, since for the most part others are uninterested in what other people dream.

I invite a good Jungian analysis of this article, though.

The Glass Atrium

There is a shopping mall with no ground level entrances; It is only accessible by descending staircases or taking off-pathways from underground transit stations. The rooftop is glass, supported by great steel girders. You can always seen sunshine coming in from the glass ceilings.

The shops inside are never the same; it’s frequently outlet stores, with the occasional restaurant - except the landlord’s shop on the “ground” floor; an apothecary.

The Doorway Out

This one is frequently in my hometown; frequently dreamt alongside the Market. I find it tricky to navigate to. It is my destination of choice to show to people when I am dreaming of showing them around where I grew up.

I never remember the alleyway to access it; only the markers near it - A small coffee shop, cobbled streets, and a tall staircase. It’s located in a bookshop, but the bookshop is nothing special - I’m looking for the doorway out.

At the far back of the bookshop is a doorway to the slope of a great mountain. It is always winter, and frequently night. I don’t know exactly where the doorway leads to; The owner of the bookshop once told me it lead to Mongolia. I can never remember what he looks like.

The last time I dreamed of this place, the door was boarded shut. The proprietor told me frequent rockfalls made it too dangerous for customers to be wandering out there.

The Fabric Store

I don’t have many details for this one. There is a used clothing and fabric store run by an old woman. When I dream of it, I feel I know the old woman very personally, like she’s a really old friend.

The last time I was here I was laughing so hard my sides hurt; the owner was laughing with me. She said “Do you remember what was making us laugh this hard the last time you were here?”

And I woke up.

The Market

This has only ever been in dreams of my Hometown. It is always right at the village center, and it is always devoid of people. Every time I visit I have been told a different excuse of why it’s empty; but frequently it is because it is only open on sundays.

When I dream of it, I am always hungry. There are lots of food stalls, and lots of ingredients - but no one ever to cook them. In past dreams I have stolen food or beer from the abandoned stalls, or bought them from vending machines.

Entering and exiting the market is always difficult. The entrances to the market, and frequently the hallways between stalls, are very tight. Sometimes visits to the market lead me towards markers for finding the Doorway Out.

The Electronics Store

Dreams of this place frequently involve me cajoling friends to go out of their way for me to visit. It’s always close by whatever the topic of the dream is, so I try to talk everyone into coming with me. Think along the lines of:

“Guys, I know we’re looking for the dragon’s eggs, but my favorite electronics store is right here.”

The dream then pivots to me digging through a bin until I find exactly whatever it is I most want to find when I’m awake. Last time it was a betamax player.

Then, I usually get so excited I found whatever it was I was looking for that I wake up.