Last year in my AP Photography class, one of our assignments asked us to think about and shoot what “home” is to us. That was the first time that I ever thought about the fact that home may have a different definition than just my house. According to the dictionary, a home is a place where one lives permanently, especially as a family or household. Since going away to school I have realized that home can have more than one meaning and that everyone’s sense of home is different. I have decided that aside from home being the place that you live, home is a place that you feel comfortable and relaxed. I think that your literal home is a place but a sense of home is a feeling. People, smells and food can remind you of home.
I now realize that I have always had a sense of home other than just my house. Growing up I went to sleepaway camp and now even though I do not go anymore, every time I have visited it still feels like my second home. I grew up at camp and learned so many life lessons that I wouldn’t have been able to learn if it wasn’t for my second home. Every year on visiting day, I am hit by the smell of camp (anyone who went to sleepaway camp understands what I am talking about) and was instantly brought back to home.
Going home from college for Thanksgiving break has made me realize that while my house will always be my home, there are always going to be more places that have a “homey” feel. Before I came home for the week, my mom asked what I wanted to eat and I instantly replied that I wanted her matzah ball soup. As a college student, any homemade meal is crucial and a huge part of what home feels (or tastes like). As soon as I ate dinner my first night home, I got in my car. I feel at home as soon as I get behind the steering wheel. Everything is mine and I have a sense of freedom and responsibility to stay safe. At home, I visited my old high school (wow, it certainly feels weird to say that…) and went back to where I began thinking about this whole thing. I went to the classroom where I spent the most time during my 4 years of high school and realized that I felt at home. While I didn’t have the chance to just sit down, I recognized that even the couch in the photo room brought me back to a place where I felt comfortable and that the places where you make the most memories can feel like home. Lastly, at home, my friends and I had “Friendsgiving” and while it was hosted at my house, I realized that just being with my friends made me feel at home and that it didn’t have much to do with my actual location.
Reflecting back on my first semester at school, I realized that college has become both literally my new home and a place where I am comfortable being. Without noticing, my roommate and I have been referring to college as "home" for many months as we send each other texts like “when are you coming home?” when referring to when we were coming back to the dorm.
Home is a feeling that college students long for but don’t always realize that they can redefine. There are so many places that I have realized make me feel at home; from places on campus, wandering around New York City, various places in my hometown or to my literal house. From the time that I attended sleepaway camp, to now being at college, homesickness is a feeling that is really hard to handle because nothing will ever replace how I feel when I walk through the door at my home. However, it is comforting to realize that I can make a home in other places also.
