The human mind and heart is such a peculiar thing. As I was away from my home in Austin for the last three weeks, I had many highs and lows. Times of enjoyment and times of sorrow or confusion.
As I was visiting my home in Kansas, it felt different than it had before. In the past, I’ve always felt like I was visiting somewhere else and when I went back to Kansas I was going back home. More recently, I’ve been feeling like Kansas isn’t my home anymore. Austin isn’t necessarily either though.
My family and the people in Kansas still feel like home, but the location feels less like it. I love it and it’s familiar but not home.
Then, when I went to South Carolina, I developed connections and friendships so quickly that by the time I left, it wasn’t home, but I felt such a strong bond that I in no way wanted to leave.
When I arrived in Austin, I was bummed. I felt like I had left part of myself in other places and was all scattered out.
Within a day though of being back in Austin, I was reacquainted with the people and familiarity and I felt at peace again. In fact more at peace than I had in either of the other two places. It was great making new connections but there is something special about reconnecting with something familiar.