I visited my home state of Michigan a few weeks ago, traveling all across the beautiful Mitten seeing various friends and family, and it got me thinking about the concept of “home”.
Sometimes when people say “home is where the heart is” I think they’re saying that home is where the people you love are. If that’s the case… my home is approximately 7 different places. So I don’t really think that’s what the phrase means. Not for me, anyway. Or for a lot of people. In our world today we move around, we get new jobs, new opportunities, new spouses… and we go to live somewhere other than where our parents are, or our best friends are. Somewhere other than the environment we grew up in. Or maybe, we’re all just really lucky now and get to call quite a few places “home” because our hearts are with people in a variety of places. I like that idea. I’m just not a person who will ever feel like I have just one “home”… I can’t see that happening.
When I’m in my hometown, I don’t necessarily feel at “home”, but I never really did there. At my parents’ house I do, however. I feel comfortable there. I fit in there. I don’t feel like I fit in in the town as a whole (though there is much to love about it).
Saginaw never felt like home, not fully. I have so many people there that I love, but I always knew I could never stay there. If I had to for some reason, I would make the best of it, but I would never be fully satisfied in my life.
Grand Rapids has always been one of my favorite places. It’s a beautiful, unique city with a spirit all its own. It feels familiar to me. I’m comfortable there as well.
For me home is any place I feel like I fit in… a place that inspires me… a place that I know and understand… a place that is comforting as well as comfortable.
Phoenix is starting to feel like it… I know the roads, the names of the suburbs, the weather… and so far it has been a good environment for me. Nothing is ever perfect, but when I landed back in Mesa from Michigan, I found myself smiling for no particular reason as I walked to my car in the warm-blanket sunshine.
So I guess I have a few places to call home, and I really like it that way. I like having my heart spread around to so many people in so many places. 🙂
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