It's 8 a.m. on a Sunday morning and I'm sitting in the Long Beach airport waiting for my connecting flight to Austin, Texas.

People have told me time after time that "when you go home, it won't feel the same." On some level, I agree because things do change while we're gone; but, for me, this trip made me realize even more that Oakland, California is home and that it's the one place I will always feel at home in.

Excitement about returning home has been a consistent feeling I've felt since I first arrived in Texas. The closer Thanksgiving got, the more excited I became about going home. It was just before landing that it really sunk in that I had made it home. I was home, and trust me, I never wanted to leave.

It's 8 a.m. on a Sunday morning, and I'm sitting in the Long Beach airport waiting for my connecting flight to Austin, Texas. While construction has changed the skyline, stores have opened and closed, and seasons have come and gone, home continues to be home. There is no place like home and returning home was something I dearly needed. I'm now on the journey back to school, and as much as I'd rather not, I feel refreshed. While I was home I was able to see the people I care about most, eat all of the food that isn't as good in Texas, and spend hours on hours relaxing.

Oakland is home, and it will continue to be.