Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Where is "home"?

I'm sure that most people who move countries consider the country of their birth to always be "home".
Since I didn't ever want to actually live there, I don't feel that I can call South Africa "home".

When I moved to America, I moved to Los Angeles. This is where I graduated from high school (South Pas High, thank you very much!), this is where I got my first job, learned to drive, experimented with different religions, and mostly grew up.
My mother lived here for nearly 10 years. When I was in college, and I went "home" it was to my mom's in Pasadena.
Does that make Los Angeles/Pasadena home?

My brother lived in San Fransisco for a long time, we have family friends who lived there, my dad lived there for two years at one point, I have spent most of my time in America going through San Fransisco at some point or another. Usually to visit family.
Does that make San Fransisco home?

I lived in Arizona for nearly 16 years (GOD!), I lived in all the major cities (Flagstaff, Tucson, Phoenix - yip, there are only 3), I owned/own property there.
Does that make Arizona home?

When I drove from Los Angeles to Annandale-on-Hudson for college, I spent my first night in Arizona stopping at the Grand Canyon on the way. I kept a journal on that trip, and in the entry for the second night (which was in Albuquerque) it says "I am glad to be out of Arizona, that state doesn't like me."
Four years later I MOVED there!
yikes!

I have a friend who is moving with her husband and 1 year old. She is moving "home". In talking to me about making choices about a house to build, she is considering her daughter's ENTIRE school career, the friends she will make, the neighborhood she will grow up in. My friend wants to give her daughter "Home".

Sometimes I am envious of friends who's parents still live in the house/town that they grew up in... "home" is clear to them.

Where is "home" for me?

I'm not sure that I can attach that concept to an actual place of my past. I think it has to be the place of my current.

Home is, literally, where my heart is.

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