There have been several times where I have met people who are not from Utah and I ask them if they like living in Utah or if they would want to move back to where they are from. Almost always they say, "I like Utah, but there's no place like home." This response always makes me wonder what makes a place feel like home. Is it where your family is? Is it where you grew up? Is it what feels right or familiar? Or is it a combination of these things? What about people who never lived in one place very long? Does any place feel like home to them? Can more than one place feel like home?
I don't have the answer to these questions, but I can say what makes me feel at home. I feel at home in Utah, and more specifically in the area around my city that I am familiar with. I feel at home when I am with my family or friends, and with Mike, and we are doing things we like to do together. I feel at home when I am familiar with many of the people and places around me. I feel at home when I am comfortable.
But could I learn to feel at home in a place I am not familiar with? Could I feel at home anywhere if I lived there long enough? Or is there some lasting impression from the places I was in as a child that can never fully be replaced by a new home?
I don't know for sure if anyone can say what makes a place feel like home. However, I do believe that we should search for and move toward that places that most feel like home. Because when we are in a place that makes us feel happy, we are at our best and we can make the best out of our lives.
