I'd be lying if I said that a small part of me doesn't wonder what it's like to have a hometown -- a quaint, cozy place to go back to over breaks and long weekends -- but I'd also be lying if I said that I wish that was my reality.
The life of a military brat is different, to put it simply. We grow up moving every two to four years, leaving our friends, homes, schools and life as we know it. When you're young it can seem like the end of the world, but as you get older, you start to appreciate your crazy lifestyle a bit more (or at least your parents hope so). I'd say this is how most of us are, myself included.
Don't get me wrong, I've shed my fair share of tears over moving, but they've been far outshined by the countless, irreplaceable experiences I've had around the world. It's easy to dwell on the negatives of having no definitive "home," but no more tears for me. You can keep your quaint village, I prefer being hometown-less for a few, simple reasons.
1. I have a lot of "homes."
Unlike most people who are from insert town and state here, I'm "from" Texas, Virginia, Indiana, South Carolina, New York, New Jersey, Italy, Japan, California and Michigan. I'm happy to say that I can call many places around the country and globe "home."
2. I'm more appreciative of each new "home."
Knowing that you'll be leaving soon is one quick way to fall in love with a place. If you've only got three days to spend on your trip to Paris, are you going to spend it in your hotel room? Well, I hope not. Being on a schedule to leave is motivation for me to soak up every little detail about where I live before I'm back on the road again.
3. I get to redecorate a lot.
Do you know that gross pink paint you picked out in middle school that you're too busy to paint over but you see every day and hate it? I don't. My rooms have been able to grow with me throughout my moves. I no longer like the poster that's been on my wall the past three years? Oh well, I'll have to take it down in a few months anyways -- now I have an excuse to buy a new poster for my new wall.
4. I am who I am.
Just like the fact that Donald Trump's dad was a millionaire determined his son's path, the fact that my dad is in the military determined mine -- in a way. I was born into a military family, and I know that I wouldn't be the same person I am now if I wasn't. I've built my values, hobbies and personality throughout my childhood moves, and I can't imagine the person I'd be if I lived in one town or state my whole life.
5. Home is where the heart is.
I know it's terribly cliché, but it's true: home is where the heart is. I may have moved too many times to count on one hand, but throughout all my moves, one thing remained the same -- my family. Home has never been a physical place to me, but rather a concept that symbolizes love and security and all those other warm, fuzzy feelings. Home for me is where my family is, and I'll take that any day over a quaint stereotypical "hometown."
