The meanings of "home"

Recently, my sister and I had a conversation about all the places that "home" has been for us.  I've thought about it a lot lately and I realized that I have called many, many places "home". Luther was my first "home away from home".  Started with Brandt, Ylvi, Dieseth, and then the Tree House where I spent my senior year.  I've referred to the city of Decorah, Minneapolis, Murrieta, and Okinawa as "home."  After college, my sweet apartment at Excelsior and Grand was home, then the 2 duplexes in Linden Hills, 2 condos downtown, a loft in Minnetonka Beach, a house in California, and now our place in Japan.  There were other short term stays in between all of that, too.  I'm sure I will live in many other "homes" in my lifetime, but the one constant place that will never change is Decorah and where my parents live.  It's the one home I have always had and always will have.

Quinn and I were very fortunate to spend 7 weeks back at home with my mom and dad this past summer.  Even married with a newborn I still felt like I was 16 somedays.. raiding the fridge, not making my bed, and some nights staying up too late.  I can guarantee you that I wasn't nearly excited to see my parents when they got home from work back in high school as I was this time around.  It was one of the highlights of our day to see Grammy and Pops drive up at 5pm.  Maybe it was because Happy Hour started in the backyard shortly after 5:00 (like 5:15pm) or that I had some free time and free hands, but mostly because I have the best parents in the world. Who wouldn't want to spend every moment they possibly could with them.  I love going home.