I'll confess, when you mentioned birds the first image that popped into my mind was a mysterious shadowy figure driving a funky van with a huge glass aviary atop the roof, filled with fluttering birds; half mad, half beautiful
Although I don't drive, I experienced something similar a couple of years ago when I shot a documentary. We were doing interviews all over the country and so my life for about six months consisted of spending a night or two in a house (or hotel, hut, or tent), meeting new people and having a good laugh, then just moving on to the next place. It was surprisingly liberating and I met some truly wonderful people I'd never have encountered in any other context.
I can completely relate to the apartment thing. When I got back it was a novelty at first to be among my home comforts, but the 'prison' walls soon closed in again and I felt as though I was suffocating. It's good to have your own place to call home, but I think it's definitely healthy to get out of there from time to time and not feel as though there's an invisible bungee cord constantly pulling you back in...