Three countries, five states, and ten cities, none of which are an area that I can define as where I’m from. As a military kid I have been raised quite literally all around the world. From North Carolina to South Korea to Germany, I have never found a place to plant my roots. Like most military kids I find myself hating the question of where I’m from. This question is very impossible to answer as moving around every two and a half years I have never really lived in a place long enough to call home. Moving around so frequently has taught me that home is not a physical place that we enjoy pin pointing out to others, but is instead a feeling.
I have never felt especially attached to one home like many others seem to be, but instead consider home to be wherever my family takes me. Home was my little townhouse on the bottom of the hill on the military base in Seoul, South Korea. Home was my cosy apartment in the Bavarian alp mountain of Garmisch, Germany. Home was the cookie cutter house in the hot suburbs of busy South Florida. Indivudally all of these places have contributed to the person that I am, from the way I see the world and the diverse people in it to the different types of food I enjoy and am willing to try. Most importantly each of these places, some I enjoyed more than others, make up a piece of where I’m from.
Coming to college away from my family, those who I have typically considered my home, has proven to me yet again that home is a feeling and is not a place. In my very first solo move without my whole family I have found that there are always more homes to be found. I have found a home in my little apartment with my two incredible roommates who welcome me home with open arms and open ears. I have found a home in my sorority where girls from all over have also found a home in our house on Copeland Street. In both of these new homes I’ve learned so much from each and every person. I’ve learned how to be a better roommate by learning to be more tolerant and accepting. I’ve learned to be a better friend by trying to listen more and talk less. I’ve learned to be a better sister in my sorority by leaving my comfort zone and reaching out and making new friends.
Sometimes its easier to stop only thinking about where you were born and raised and to start remembering that growth never actually stops. Each place you go to will hold a significant place in your memory, and will make you think differently. While its very important to remember where you came from, its also very important to know that you’re still going. Don’t be afraid to try something new or go somewhere different. Familiarity is nice and comforting, but change can be exciting and bring new adventures, some of which may bring you to a new place with different people that you can call home.
