Home is...?

Home is where the heart is.

Home is where the house is.

Home is where the Army takes us.

Home is where you dance in your underwear.

Home is where the Wifi connects automatically.

Home is where...

This past week I have been home in Minnesota visiting my parents. I've been thinking a lot about what home means... and for me it's a tricky concept. There are all sorts of sayings and descriptions of what and where home is, but it's really not that simple is it? 

"Where is home?"

"There are a few..."

"Yeah, Yeah, but... where is home?"

"They're all home"

"????"

I was born and raised in Maplewood, MN. For 18 years of my life, there was no question that Minnesota was home. Then I moved to Charleston, SC for college. Soon after Charleston felt like "home". My job, belongings, friends, everything except my family was there. I'd even argue that my "heart" was in Charleston. I quickly adopted the deep south way of life. Minnesota was still home, but Charleston was too. 

After graduating, for no reason in particular I moved to Charlotte, NC. Soon, Charlotte felt much more like home than Charleston ever had. I was an established adult with a full time job, lots of friends, a car that I purchased and paid for myself, and my very own health insurance (exciting right....?). Two years after moving, I met Peter. Most of his family is in Charlotte which added to the feeling of home-ness. 

4 years after moving to Charlotte I decided to move to New York. Not only to be closer to 

West Point but because... it's freaking NEW YORK! Now New York feels more like home than any of the previously mentioned cities. So here comes the real conundrum... 

Where the heck is home?! 

In the past week I have said both of these things, "I'm going home to Minnesota." Then, " I'm going home to New York." In the past month I've also said, " I'm trying to get home to Charlotte soon." I"m fairly positive that in the next 6 months I'll be adding Alabama to my list of "places that feel like home". So my answer, although not profound is a slight variation 

"Home" is all the places your heart may be. 

It's okay to call more than one place home... right?