It all started when I was 16 years old and I moved to a different country. I remember that at first it felt like a prolonged vacation, but as time went by, I started creating a routine. Naturally, I started going to school, doing my homework, meeting new people and making plans for the near future, until it didn't feel like being on vacation anymore.
I made great friends and had amazing experiences. However, I felt like an outsider at times. This made me miss the people and the things I grew up with. To begin with, in the new place I had a very obvious accent - I still do - and that constantly reminded me, and others, that I was from somewhere else. Also, I remember watching my friends on social media and seeing what they were doing in school and the times they would hang out together. And even though they would constantly tell me "I miss you", I couldn't help the feeling that I was missing out and I missed being home.
A year later, I went back home for a visit. I saw all my friends and family, and I enjoyed all the things that weren't available where I was living now. Still, I noticed something. While I was away, I kept feeling that my heart was back where I grew up. But now that I was back there, I realized that I wasn't the same person I was when I left. In addition, I noticed how much I had grown up and that now I had new friends, as well as a whole new way to see the world. Also, I realized that all this time, I had been missing the time with my friends before I left. But the truth was that we were all different now. I had to accept that things had happened while I was gone, and a lot of things were not the same.
After I realized all this, I had a feeling I didn't think I'd ever have. I felt ready to go home. Honestly, I was a little thrown off by this. "Did it mean that where I grew up wasn't my home anymore? Where was my home now? - Subsequently, I came to the conclusion that both places were my home at the same time because I had left a piece of my heart in both places.
Today, three years after, I've moved, once again. Now, I made the decision that I'll move around making my home wherever I go. Leaving my heart at the places that mean something to me and with the people I've loved in different parts of the world. Ultimately, I hope that someday, no matter where I go, I will always feel at home.
