I have finally made it home from Walla Walla University, and it feels great. Don't get me wrong, I love Walla Walla! I love my school, but I have missed my city. I have missed my friends and my family, I have missed the people that care for me most.

When we flew into SeaTac airport, I couldn't believe the breathtaking beauty. Even though Walla Walla is only 4-5 hours away from Seattle and where I live, the difference in the surroundings, is day and night! Walla Walla is a cute town in the country, with rolling hills encapsulating it, plopped right in the SE corner of Washington. This is all amazingly gorgeous and terrific in almost every way possible, but the truth is, I still miss my home.

My home (Bellevue, Washington to be exact) is the absolute best. I live right in the middle of the city! I can walk to restaurants, to the movie theater, or the mall. I am only 7 minutes away from my church, and we have a gorgeous view of trees all lit up in their gloriousness for Christmas. Not only is all of this amazing, but we are also only about an hour or so away from the mountains and the great outdoors. This is something that I have always appreciated about my home. I love how you can be in the city, but then only an hour later be up in the mountains or driving through gorgeous scenery. It is so easy to change up the pace of life when you grow up in an area like this, and I believe this is one of the biggest blessings you could ever ask for. Because of all this easy access, it causes me to feel a bit trapped in Walla Walla. To combat this, it forces me to get creative when trying to find things to do.

I love that the moment you walk into your home, you just know through almost every sense possible that you are indeed, at home. It smells like home, like memories of times passed. The feel of your front door knob under your hand once again, walking in to see the familiar pictures on the wall and your family waiting for you inside, all with smiling faces. There is a certain type of joy you feel coming home, everything just seems so cheerful. Nothing can bring you down from the high of happiness you feel in these moments. There’s no other thing that I can do to make my heart as warm as when I come home.