You come back and everything is oddly familiar; your dog still barks obnoxiously when he has to go the bathroom, your brother still binge watches the same TV shows and the same neighbors wave at you on the streets.
You step in your room and a wave of nostalgia hits you; this was the bed you cried on, vented on and shared your secrets on. Your walls are filled with photos of lifelong friends –some you still talk to, some you haven't caught up with in ages – but nonetheless, the faces of your childhood. It's more than just a room because when you lay on your bed or flip through the clothes in your closet trying to determine your outfit of the day, your mind carries you to a different time.
You let a slight smile form on your face when you think about the time your best friend laid on your bed and vetoed outfit after outfit just so that you looked perfect on your first date. You smile when you remember coming home that night and feeling on top of the world as you dozed off. You remember the time you collapsed on the floor as heartbreak took the form of physical pain. You didn't think you would ever lose that person, yet somehow life went on.
It's home.
You moved on. One day you've made your college decision and the next you're squeezing your dog tight and saying goodbye to your home; the only place you were convinced you would ever call home. Things weren't the same for a while and you had your doubts. You would stay in just to Skype your friends at home and you would stare at the ceiling at night with a pit in your stomach, knowing exactly what was missing.
Then, slowly but surely, staying in wasn't as regular of an occurrence. Sure, you missed your parents, but you could just call them later, right? You met people. Some reminded you of friends from home while others were a breath of fresh air. You may not have noticed it at first, but these people would become the people you never realized you needed. They don't replace anyone from home, but they help you create a whole new special place. You suddenly have no clue how you ever lived without them.
It's home.
Two homes? It seems impossible. Do you have to choose? Do you have a favorite?
The truth is that each makes you feel a certain way, and after living in both places, you can't imagine only calling one home. That's when you know that you ended up where you needed to be.
Your hometown holds your yesterdays. It holds your first love and heartbreak, the sidewalk that you first learned to ride a bike on and the friends that permanently impacted your life and who you are today. It holds a special place in your heart and reminds you of who you once where.
Your new home holds your future. It holds your bridesmaids, independence and new beginnings and opportunities. It has helped you realize that although your hometown brings rise to an overwhelming nostalgia, you're not that person anymore. You realize that it's a part of you always but that the past is the past and you're ready to move on.
It feels good to have two homes.
