There's No Place Like Home

I love going home.

My home, my forever home in Nebraska, is so much different than my Arizona home. When I’m in Nebraska it feels like a whole different world. Life slows down and it's apparent that values are different. People are different. They talk to you while you’re waiting in line like they know you although you've never seen them before. Seeing people you know while you’re out and about isn’t shocking, it's actually very common. Traffic is different. Driving across town isn’t stressful and it doesn’t take an hour and a fourth tank of gas. I don’t think I’ve heard anyone honk at someone else anytime last week. People proudly display the American flag and they take pride in working hard and their families. Values and emphasis are more on family and faith and honesty and goodness and less on how much money you have or what part of town you live in.

I'm not saying other places are bad. They are just different, with good parts and bad parts. Arizona has a lot of great things (and so many wonderful people!) that I’d miss if I left. But, Nebraska will always be my home. Sometimes I think about moving back. If I did, there are most definitely things that would drive me crazy, but there are also things I’d love. I’d enjoy the first snowflakes fall each season (before I began complaining about the abundance of snow), Christmas lights on a home being more common than not, 15 minutes would become my definition of a "long" commute, family being around the corner, lunches and weekend meetups with friends who have always and will always be true, and the familiarity of a small church.

When I’m back it’s like nothing changed. It feels like I never left and then a minute later it feels like I’ve been gone forever. It’s hard to explain. When I first moved to Arizona I felt like I had no real home because Nebraska was no longer my home and Arizona didn’t feel right either. For awhile I felt out of place in both, but now I usually feel at home in both places. If only I could merge the best of both worlds. For now I enjoy every trip home. Maybe someday we’ll move back or to another state. But, Nebraska will always be my home, a place I hold dear in my heart. It’s funny how once upon a time I just wanted to leave, and now I love coming back.