I find it rather intriguing that everybody has a place that they call “home”. Whether it’s where you grew up, where you currently reside, or where your parents live while you’re slaving away getting a degree or working a 9–5, home is different place for everybody. Home to some people is a place they never ever want to go back to, and home to other people is a place they would love to go back to at this EXACT moment. Home isn’t always good; it really just depends on your experiences that you’ve had with your “home.”

Home for me is where my parents currently live back in Burnsville (even though I tell everybody I’m from Apple Valley cause Burnsville isn’t even tight). This is the place where I’ve gained countless memories over my 22 years of life. This is the place where I learned everything; from riding a bike to learning proper manners. I was the youngest of two older brothers who were, and still are some of my biggest role models in life today. Most people think of role models as these “perfect” people who are rich and famous and live a perfect life. A role model to me is somebody that I look up to, that’s been through struggles, that has made mistakes, yet still appreciates life in general and can teach ME how to become a better person.
I’m just going to be straight up, being able to watch my brothers grow up and to see their mistakes and their accomplishments really was one of the more beneficial things in my life-I learned a lot from them.

Aside from my two brothers, I’m lucky enough to be raised by two of the most genuine individuals I’ve learned to call “mom” and “dad” and even luckier that they’ve given me such a good experience of what “home” should be. We weren’t rich, we weren’t poor, we were a family..and that itself is more than other people can say- so I’m thankful for that.

The reason I started thinking about home was because I spent a good majority of my time today with my parents and at home. I’ve lived in the dorms, I’ve lived in 3 separate houses in dinky town for school with some of my best friends and yes I would consider that home-but a different kinda home, if that makes sense. My home back in Burnsville gives me the GREATEST feeling when I walk through the door. Whether it’s because the look on my mom’s face as to how happy she is to see me even though it’s only been a few days, or my dogs sprinting at me because they know they’re about to get a heaping amount of dog treats thrown at them. It’s a place where I feel secure, it’s a place where my worries disappear, it’s a place where you can literally feel and smell good vibes (or dinner cooking-same thing), it’s a place where when I lay my head down on the couch And instantly fall asleep and take a nap-which is something I NEVER do. i
It’s a place where you’re guaranteed a damn good meal and dessert. It’s a place like no other, a place that can’t be copied or mimicked for whatever reason. The environment in my home is something I hope I can one day create for my own kids.

As usual, I’m one to look at things/situations/places from as many angles as possible to understand it as best as I can and to get as many different perspectives on it. I never really appreciated home as much as I should have. I’ve always been thankful and happy for it, but damn that really doesn’t even come close to how much my home means to me. Especially when you think about other people’s homes. I have friends who have moved over 5 times, do they get to enjoy a place called home like I do? And I know there’s people out there who don’t even have a home. I know there’s people out there who just

lost their home due to natural disasters. I know people who have had their homes robbed or vandalized, can you just imagine that?

Bottom line is..as always, just be thankful for what you have around you.