My walls, my comfy blankets, laughter, happiness, food, my in ground pool, my TV room and warmth is what I used to think of when I heard the word home. However, as I grow older the word home holds a much deeper meaning for me. Home has no longer became a place, home has become wherever my people are.

Home is a place of comfort, a place where I can be my true self, a place where I can belly laugh and forget all the negative things. Home makes me feel safe, secure and loved. That is why home has become wherever my people are.

A house is a house, a couch is a couch, my favorite snuggly blanket is only a blanket, my pool is only a pool, but my people are irreplaceable. I am not in my own home often anymore, adulting requires too much of my time. I find home in seeing my people as often as I can.

This week I was able to meet my mom and sister for a 45 minute Penn Station date in Barboursville, in that moment, Penn Station was my home. Not because of the mouthwatering subs or the freshly cooked fries, but because of the company of my people that made me feel safe, secured, loved and happy.

I think we grow up and fear leaving the place we call home, the house we grew to love, the walls that heard so many laughs, tears and happiness; but we forget that without our people that home would be missing those things. I love my house, as I’m sure you love yours. But, would your house really be so special to you if you didn’t have your people in those walls with you?

I want my life to be filled with belly laughs, happy smiles, irreplaceable memories and countless “remember when’s.” I want to make these memories with my people. I want my people to carry me throughout my life. I wonder one day where this life will take my family, my friends, my neighbors, my future family.

Growing up I would often listen for the same creaky footboard to creak, so I would know that my dad was home. It was one of those happy sounds that I looked forward to. I realize now it wasn’t the sound of that footboard that made me happy, it was my dad.

There are places and there are people. What is the most important to you? Would these places still be important to you if you didn’t have your people? I know that I love the places most important in my life, but I love my people that fill those places the most. Home can be a place, but to me home is my people. I like to say my home has heartbeats, it’s because my home is my people. I hope wherever life takes me one day that I am always carrying my home with me.