My Home

“Leaving home always means leaving with your feet, never with your heart.” Hi! I'm Eden and I want to share about what home means to me. When I was one we moved to Egypt and I thought that was my home for a long time. But, when i was in kindergarten, we came back to Canada (my passport country), after a year we returned to Egypt and then came back to Canada again last year. I didn’t know which one was my home. But now I'm ten and I realize that home is where the heart is. I have lived in many homes and all of them have a special place in my heart. I currently live in Alberta, Canada. My home is more than just bricks and wood; my house holds memories. I have also had a home in Cairo, Egypt. This home is different from all the other ones I've lived in. It is an apartment building. My friends live in the same apartment building so I don’t even have to go outside to go for a playdate. I have many memories of my home in Egypt. Many of them are celebrations we had there. In Egypt we celebrate Ramadan and Eid with our neighbours. Home also holds our family traditions. One of my traditions is Christmas with friends and family. We have a candlelight service at our church on Christmas eve, we have candles and light them together. Our church meets outside under a big tent. We also have a church Christmas pageant with real camels, sheep, and donkeys. I have many other traditions like going playing in the blow up pool on the rooftop of our building on very hot days. Homes may change over time, like you might get a new couch or a new family member, but a home is where you live and where your memories are, and that will never change. A big part of my home is my family. They always give me comfort when I need it. I have three sisters, I also have three turtles, Mr.Fast, Treasure, and Angel. Another pet of mine is a hedgehog named Pickles. My pets give me comfort just like my parents and siblings. I am very thankful for my family, they are always there for me. They are a great family. I would not like any other family other than mine. No matter where I go, my family comes with me. I am a third culture kid, that means I am growing up in a culture that is not the one my parents grew up in or my passport culture. My third culture is a culture I share with a whole bunch of other kids who aren't a full part of their passport culture or the culture they live in. Some people say that third culture kids are citizens of nowhere and everywhere. I like this because it makes me feel that i can live everywhere and nowhere at the same time. I’ve been able to travel to many different places with my family such as Germany, Turkey, Greece and Kenya. I get to meet different people and see different cultures and I have learned over those experiences that every culture is different in its own way. That taught me that even if you're different, you should still be treated as equally as anyone else. I have two homes in two countries, but really, my home is with my family, in my heart, with memories and traditions, wherever my feet land.