As of yesterday—October 29th, 2013—I no longer have a home base. By that I mean the house in which I grew up in Reading, MA is no longer owned by my family. After much effort and time my mother was finally able to sell the damn place and move out into an apartment much more appropriately suited for her and our three cats than a big empty six bedroom home. While I made my last visit to the house several weeks ago, it hadn’t truly struck me until I was attempting to fall asleep last night. This realization that I’ll never actually be back in that house, on that beloved property as a member of the household brought with it a myriad of feelings: sadness, relief, and plenty of excitement. For the first time since arriving at college over three years ago, Burlington—Germland—is my one true home.
All my life, whether on vacation or simply at school, there has been that large and familiar home base to return to; a safe haven for myself, my family, and for all of my friends. I can’t help but think now that centralized location in my life as detracted from the significance of living away in Vermont, as if it was always just a temporary alternative. It’s never been my goal to move back in with my mother after college but honestly it’s true for me, just as it is for millions of other undergrads throughout the country that this may very well happen. Yet, Reading isn’t home anymore. Burlington is more my home than anywhere else on earth currently, which leaves me more eager than ever to get a move on after school and find where home should be. It’s in interesting feeling: to be so poised to leave Burlington but at the same time realize that it is now more a place of comfort than anywhere else. Hopefully, I can use the restlessness I feel to get out and begin my professional life as a way to push through the urge to feel at home and comfortable and make bigger strides in my life, change things up, and see what I can do now that I don’t feel tethered to any one place.
-Zach
All my life, whether on vacation or simply at school, there has been that large and familiar home base to return to; a safe haven for myself, my family, and for all of my friends. I can’t help but think now that centralized location in my life as detracted from the significance of living away in Vermont, as if it was always just a temporary alternative. It’s never been my goal to move back in with my mother after college but honestly it’s true for me, just as it is for millions of other undergrads throughout the country that this may very well happen. Yet, Reading isn’t home anymore. Burlington is more my home than anywhere else on earth currently, which leaves me more eager than ever to get a move on after school and find where home should be. It’s in interesting feeling: to be so poised to leave Burlington but at the same time realize that it is now more a place of comfort than anywhere else. Hopefully, I can use the restlessness I feel to get out and begin my professional life as a way to push through the urge to feel at home and comfortable and make bigger strides in my life, change things up, and see what I can do now that I don’t feel tethered to any one place.
-Zach
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