"Home"

I have lived in Birmingham for about 4.5 years now. Ever since I moved up here, I've never been able to call Birmingham my "home". And it's not because Birmingham doesn't feel like home to me. I've built a nice life here in Birmingham. I have a job I enjoy, a house I love and feel safe in, a dog that fills my house with so much joy, and a lot of friends, many of whom have come to feel more like family to me. I really like living up here. But for some reason, I just can't bring myself to call Birmingham "home". I think it is mostly because I lived the first 22 years of my life in Mobile. To me, Mobile is my home. For some crazy reason, I feel like it would be a huge insult to my family in Mobile for me to call Birmingham "home". So even though everything about my life in Birmingham feels like home, I've just never been able to call Birmingham my "home".

I have this great friend from college named Michelle. Since everyone loves pictures, here is a picture of Michelle and I:

Michelle is awesome. She is one of those people who will listen to your troubles and just always knows the right thing to say to make you feel better. We called her "Mama Michelle" in college. Michelle is in a similar situation as me. She grew up in New Orleans, but came to college in Mobile. Since graduating from college, she started her career in Mobile and has built a life there. On many occasions, Michelle and I have talked about how we love the lives we have built in our current respective cities, but how we also miss the lives we led in our respective hometowns.

Recently, Michelle posted a status update on Facebook that really struck a chord with me. She had just returned to Mobile from a weekend trip home to New Orleans. She said:

"Back from New Orleans. I always love being there, but being there helps me see how much I love being here, too. I guess I am blessed to have two places that I can call home."

I never thought of it that way! First of all, it never crossed my mind that I am allowed to call two different places home. By calling Birmingham home, I'm not rejecting the fact that Mobile is also my home. I can have two homes! Second, having two homes is a good thing. I have a life here in Birmingham that I love and that feels like home to me, but I also have a home down in Mobile that I always feel welcome in with family that welcomes me with open arms. I truly am blessed. Thanks, Michelle!

It may seem crazy, but I am at so much peace now knowing that I can call these two places that I love "home".

There's my Mobile home, the house that I spent the first 22 years of my life in:

And then there's the house that my parents now live in (they sold the house I grew up in last year), and it is starting to feel more like home to me:



And there is my Birmingham home, the house that I have now lived in for exactly a year:



I really am blessed to have these two places full of wonderful people and wonderful memories, and I can call both of these places "home".