What is Home?

Home is grand and small. Home is a planet, a continent, a country, and a region. Home is a feeling. Home is the place where you feel loved and protected. For the longest time, home meant my nana’s house back in Romania where I spent my summer vacations. A simple house found in the country side, with little comfort, built next to the river. Her hugs, her smile, and her warmth remind me of home. From an early age, my nana encouraged me to dream and be curious, she would read to me poems and stories while reminiscing about the objects in the room. The sowing machine tucked under the table, the paintings on the wall all themed in nature, the books lined up in the family library, the pictures of family perfectly placed; all were arranged in harmony that brought warmth and a sense of belonging. Besides the presence of my nana filling the space with her charm, I can remember the energy of all objects surrounding me. As I grow up, I discover new meanings of the word home. Home is the warmth of this text I am writing, which inspires and makes me smile. Home is a conversation with my friend who validates me that I am on the right path. Home is my library, the books I read, the characters I resemble, reminding me that I am not as vulnerable as I thought. Home is my teachers and my religion. For me, more exactly, home is a FEELING, the constant presence of my family and friends, the presence of my books, the piano, the dance class, the swimming in the lake, the smell of fresh baked bread. Home is not a space but rather a feeling of peace, family and love.