No Place Like Home

The piercing wind howls in my face as I walk home from school. I open the door to my house and the warm air hits me. Immediately the coldness melts away. The smell of fresh chocolate chip cookies wafts into my nose. My mouth is watering already. I wrap a cat hair infested blanket around my body, sitting down on our couch which is quite old, crummy and very disgusting. But I love it. There are so many memories in these cushions that a new couch could never replace. I tune in to the Taylor Swift songs that are playing constantly in the background. I close my eyes, just hearing my breath. I stare at our wall adorned with art pieces. I have memorized every one. My favorite has to be the one with the scribbles. My eyes follow all the loops and curves. This feels like home. Not just the four walls and the structure, it’s what's inside, all the love, and the feeling of belonging. How nobody cares how I dress. Hearing my dad yell at the hockey game on the TV, or the sound of my brother stirring around Lego. I walk up to my room and I turn on my diffuser. The sweet savory smell of lavender fills the air. My cat purrs and rubs her head against my leg. I crank up my radio and take out my sketchbook. I let my mind drift away, all my thoughts and stress leave my body. I think of the way my mom wraps me in a blanket when I am down. Or the way my brother challenges me to a wrestling match. A home is not a house. They are different. A house is a structure and a home is where you are with loved ones, or by yourself. A home could be in the wild, like in the forests or city streets. It's how it makes you feel. Loved. Belonging. Like I can be myself. There is no place like home. So thank you Habitat for humanity for giving other people the chance to have a home.