This Side of Lost

Home (n.): 1 a : one's place of residence : DOMICILE b : HOUSE
2 : the social unit formed by a family living together
3 a : a familiar or usual setting : congenial environment; also : the focus of one's domestic attention b : HABITAT

What does it mean when one refers to one's home? For example, I sent my mom a note that I had made it home after a long day of travelling. She wrote back saying that she did not think I was home. Apparently our opinions differ.

I and many of my peers find ourselves in the unenviable place of being in between homes. We no longer live at the place or places we called home for the first two decades of our lives. But many of us have not necessarily founded places to truly call home for ourselves or our new families. The word 'home' then becomes used in several oftentimes contradicting connotations:

Chris and I, random meeting: "Hey, Chris, funny running into you on campus." "Yeah! I need to run to work, though." "Okay, I'll see you at home." "Cheers."

SLIS folks and I, before break: "Where are you headed for Christmas?" "Oh, I'll be going home." "Back to Minnesota?" "Yeah, that's right."

Samantha and I, last Monday: "Well, we've done the Mall of America. Where to now?" "Should we go home?" "You mean back to Bloomington?" "No. Well, at least not today." "<laugh> Right. Back to Stillwater then."

Home appears to be contextual. The term is imprecise by itself. I could be talking about my parents' place back in Minnesota. I could be talking about the limestone house on N Walnut Street. I could also be talking about being in the company of the person who is most important to me, wherever that may be. This last connotation is perhaps the most vague, but also perhaps the most correct.

They say home is where the heart is. I think that's probably the best I can come up with today. Without a definite physical place to call home, I must resort to other definitions.

In any case. I am home, in Bloomington, now -- having arrived last night. The winter break was fantastic -- one of the best in recent memory. I will detail the Christmas-related loot once the final tally comes in (I am expecting one or two more small items yet). Samantha and I are looking forward to a relaxing few days before classes start again on Monday. More, including highlights from the Minnesota visit, coming soon.