home.

Well this took longer than expected, but I'm finally back again.

As of yesterday,  I've been at Purdue for 16 weeks. WHAT. These last 16 weeks have flown by and have been filled with so much new, but also a lot of missing home.

A few weeks ago, my family made the trip out to West Lafayette for family weekend. It was so nice and I was so glad they did, but in some ways it almost made me miss home even more. I knew this feeling was going to come at some point especially since I'm making a second home 10 hours away. Homesickness...and to be completely honest sometimes it really sucks, like it physically pulls on my heart.

Home. It's an interesting concept if you think about it. Home isn't necessarily where you're born, where you grew up, or where you live now. Home is where you choose to make it at any given point in the journey of your life. For some time I always thought that I couldn't make Tacoma home. Or before, that i couldn't make California home. I'm learning that it's not the place that makes it home, it's you that makes it home. It's been a really rough year for me, as many of you know or have gathered. Through the many downs and few ups I've found it really hard to be excited about much. But today, for the first time in a long time I felt excited. Not about where I was going really or the next step, but excited about where I'm at right now and who I'm learning that I am. The other day I planted a flower garden in the 25 square feet I'm calling my yard. I guess that means something. Is this home for now?

I remember scrolling through Instagram a while ago, and I came across this post from one of my favorite photographers, Danny Owens.

As I was reading through it, I found that so much of it relates to how I've been feeling lately.

"Home. It's an interesting concept if you think about it. Home isn't necessarily where you're born, where you grew up, or where you live now. Home is where you choose to make it at any given point in the journey of your life."

Right now, I think I'm making my home in two places. No matter what, Lindsborg will always be home for me, but that doesn't mean that Purdue can't be too.

"I'm learning that it's not the place that makes it home, it's YOU that makes it home"

SO, what I've learned is that homesickness absolutely does not mean that I'm not enjoying myself or that I'm constantly sad, it just means that even after 16 weeks,  I'm still trying to get used to this new normal and guess what? That's okay.

See you soon (hopefully)

xoxo,

T