The meaning of home

You can’t describe home with a sentence or a one-word answer, it carries a different meaning for everyone around the world. For me, my home is my happy place, it’s where my family is, my keepsakes are, and where my memories are. A place where I can feel safe, calm, and protected. When I’m anywhere else, I can put up a wall around my emotions, but as soon as I get home, I feel safe to let them loose. As soon as I step through my front door, this wave of calm washes over me, and I feel like I’m where I’m supposed to be. I have wonderful memories of cooking with my mum, playing games with my nana and my mum, and laughing about the silly things my cat does. All of these memories were at home, and when I’m there, I feel like I’m watching it happen all over again. Most of my memories are in my house in the city, but I’m also lucky enough to have a cottage in the country. You don’t have to have to only be rooted to one place, you can have many different places you call home. Home also doesn’t have to be a single structure, it can be a town or a city, or a close knit community, as long as you get that sense of belonging. I know that when I’ve had a rough week, I just make it to Friday, when we drive up north. As soon as we pass the sign at the start of the town, I feel that surge of emotion and all my worries and sadness get washed away by the wave.