Home.

It’s the place where I can be silly. Not wash my hair, bum around in sweats all day and not care what I look like. It’s where I get out of the shower and 10 minutes later I’m at the store buying something to eat. I can sing at the top of my lungs after getting out of the shower and mom doesn’t notice. I can blare music and jam out in my car and not care who sees. I go all day without showering, go to the store with mom, no make-up baseball hat and dance in the aisles without caring who sees me. I take Sunday morning drives up the mountains just to see and experience all the God has made. It’s the one place I know I can always get away to when I’m having a rough day. It’s the buildings we climbed knowing if we get caught trouble was waiting at home. It’s the cliffs we jumped, the mountains we climbed, and the stars we laid out under for hours just to stare at. The late night lake swims, bonfires, and ice skating. Hot tubs and snow, McDonalds and puppy chow. The old lady at church who will always remember my name, but I’ll be lucky to ever recognize her. Late night talks on the lawn, making life decisions when at 16 years old that I’m yet to live up to. Winter formals, crazy conversations, the think tank old men’s coffee group at the local Hardee’s. It’s place where someone will always know my name or someone I’m related to. A burger I’ll never forget and sandwiches I’ll always remember. Late night movies, early morning runs, sneaking in/ sneaking out, gnomes, school, jobs, and paystubs. Loss, love, worry, so many lost wishes, what if’s and where are they now’s.
So many things that once shaped and defined my life. Who I was, who I wanted to be, even the things I wanted my life to become.
Its funny to be home now and reflect on what this town has become to me now that I’m older, that I’ve moved on, seen others places and made what are now huge life decisions.
It’s funny that I can come back to this sleepy old town and everything feels the same, same stories but new people. There are so many things here I know I’ve taken for granted and so many things I know I’d love to never forget.
I don’t know though as much as this town means and all. I realize how much I don’t relate to life here anymore.
I know this is a place I can always call home- always come back to.
But to know it doesn’t hold me anymore.
Once it worked, and I know growing up here shaped me for good.
But I’ve realized I have so much more on my plate than this town can offer. I know and believe there are great things in store for my future and I absolutely cannot wait to experience them. And take this feeling of home with me as I find out what “the rest of my life” means.