HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS!

Yesterday, we returned to Michigan from an amazing trip to see friends and family in Texas. As we prepared to take off from the airport, the kids and I remarked how it was one of our favorite trips ever, not just one of our favorite trips back to Texas. I thought about why that might be. We had not seen any new sites or done anything out of the order or extravagant. What we did was spend quality time with family and friends, several of whom the kids had not spent much time with.

The trip back to Texas made me think about what makes a place feel like home and what has been missing from our time in Ann Arbor. For me, home is all about shared experience, shared memory, and being with many different people whom one loves. That kind of feeling only comes with time, contact, and intimacy - all of which have been in short supply these past four and a half years since our move. I have come to realize that if I want this feeling, I either need to work harder to cultivate it right where I am or to eventually move to a place where people about whom I care are in abundance. Nonetheless, the trip back home made me realize just how lucky I am to have lived the life I have - living all over the country and making amazing friends at every stop. 

What is more important than being close to those whom you love - whether through your memories, ongoing deep connections, or your proximity? Here's to more quality time with loved ones in 2024!