Dear home,

It's been a long time, and I can definitely admit that I miss you a lot right now.

Whether you're where I was raised or where I've been, I'm always craving my return to you.

I miss the way you look when the seasons begin to change. I miss the smell of leaves being raked and pies being baked. I miss the rain. I miss the trees. I miss the colors of fall and the clarity of our lakes.

I miss how you managed to always bring me back to reality and remind me of who I am and where I came from. You are the root of my being, and I slowly feel that root coming up to the surface and it detaching itself from me.

I miss seeing my mom and listening to her make silly jokes and complain about the most random things. I miss how she'd tell me every day that she was proud of me, and that I was going to do great things in my life. Don't tell her I said this, but I even miss how dedicated she was when it came to ensuring that I cleaned my room and did my homework.

I miss my Dad's humor; how he always managed to make me laugh, even if it was from a blunt statement or a wiggle of his eyebrows. I miss it when he'd make me my favorite dinner and let me go back for seconds and thirds. Do you remember how he and I would just talk and talk about anything that came to our minds? He's so smart. I miss his odd intuition.

I miss going into town and recognizing every face. I miss being sincerely asked about how I am and being able to give an honest, warm response. I miss the "how's the family" and "how's school" conversations that I'd have with my cashiers at the grocery store. I miss the trips to the DVD Rental Store and the bank and the way they'd give me lollipops every time I went. I miss the small town fairs where neighbors got together and celebrated life. I miss the fireworks and the block parties and school sporting events and days of nothing but boating on the lake. I miss feeling like part of a community.

I miss how much I loved seeing my dog run around outside when I was with you. She loved being able to be free without a care. I miss being able to let her be free without a care.

I miss the people that I grew up with, the ones that loved me through my worst times and laughed with me during our awkward phases. I miss riding bikes to the country store down the road and biking a little faster when we passed the "haunted house" on our street. I miss racing to the park and playing games in the school yard and daring each other to go into the graveyard at night. I miss trampolines and snowball fights and late night hide-and-go-seek in the woods. I miss it all, and I miss it more than you know.

I miss the way that I feel when I'm with you, and I know that as the years go on, we both will change, but you will always be my home. I will always cherish every moment spent, every tear shed, every laugh, every smile, every fight, every argument with my siblings, every family dinner, every state fair, every experience that shaped me into the person I am today.

I don't know where I would be without you, and I promise to return to you someday soon.

Until then, know that you are always on my heart, and I will never, ever, forget you.

Sincerely,

Your truest friend.