As I mentioned in my previous post, the wedding we went to last weekend was in the same church where Justin and I got married, in my hometown. As we were traveling there, Justin commented about how long it had been since we had been there. Aria and I had been there in May for Jena's wedding shower, but before that I'm not sure when it was. You see, my hometown is no longer home.
Aria already has two homes under her belt. She's passed me by just a little. At 17 years and 51 weeks, I moved away from the only home I ever knew and into the college dorms. Four years and seven dorms/apartments later, I moved into my second home; the one we most recently moved out of. So, when I was 19 and my parents told me they were moving, I wasn't too happy. How could they leave my house, the only place that I ever lived (besides those temporary dorms and apartments)? They weren't going far, just a few miles outside of town to a really beautiful, wooded, country home. It was the perfect place for them. They built a pond and jeep trails, got their dog CJ, and loved living in all that nature. I wasn't too keen on the place at first. In fact, it was really hard for me to go 'home' and visit because it wasn't 'home' anymore. The first time I remember being excited about the place was the first time I took Justin home with me. We actually went with a group of our friends and all spent the weekend down there. It was a blast and I grew to appreciate that house a lot.
The really strange thing happened seven years later when my parents decided to leave my hometown altogether. This time it was a bit different for me. Both of my parents had become pretty stressed out with their jobs and it was time for a change. I knew they needed it. I was also married and had established myself here, calling it home. Plus, they wanted to move closer to us! I was excited for them, but it was still very bittersweet when we packed everything up out of that dreamy house in the country for them to leave the town they'd called home for all of their 34 years of marriage.
Then, going home became traveling to a new, unknown town. A place where I don't know anyone. A place where I don't know where anything is. A place where I don't have any connections. It was super weird at first. Sure, I know people now that my parents have met them. And I can find my way around. My parents are really the only connection I need (you would especially understand if you knew my mom). It's a pretty great place. It is a nice in between us and my dad's job. It is closer than the old home.
But back to the original occurrence, when traveling to my hometown this past weekend, it just felt weird. I don't know very many people there anymore. The kids that were in kindergarten when I was a senior in high school just graduated this past May. People have grown up, moved away, got married, had kids. The highway goes around the town now instead of through it. Actually, this past weekend, we didn't even go into my hometown because the church is on the outskirts. I don't remember how to get places or the way has changed. Buildings have changed. Some have been torn down, some have been built. It is almost as foreign as my parents' new town was when they first moved there. Almost.
It is still my hometown. I still grew up there, went to school there my entire elementary, junior high, and high school years. I made memories there. And there is one family (that just married off their first daughter) that I am particularly fond of there. In fact, I would know A LOT less about my hometown if it weren't for them.
But home is now here. My school pride now lies in the district I taught, where Aria will go to school. My familiarity is with this town, these grocery stores, these high school sports teams and players, these parks, and the church we attend. I love it here! I couldn't imagine leaving. Of course, I couldn't imagine leaving my hometown, either. And, it was really hard at first. I cried almost the whole way to college on move-in day. I'm a little apprehensive about change. Then I never left.
Of course, home is always where you make it. Home changes throughout your life. But the memories you made in each place never change. I like to think that is part of my job these days, making memories for Aria in, now, her second home.
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