{Scraps of Life}
Through my 35 years in this life, I have quite a few moves under my belt. Some long-distance, some closer to each other.
People ask me all the time “where are you from ?” and I must make a strange face each and every time because I just don’t know how to answer this question. I also have to force myself not to think “this person is probably another racist jerk” but this is another story… See, I am from France, to begin with: that’s where I was born and raised. But where is my hometown? I have none. I was born in Paris’ suburbs where I lived until I was about 8 years old; then things got… hectic. We lived at my Mom’s friend’s house with her family for about 6 months then moved closer to my grandparents in Brittany. I remember I HATED it; did not like being the only person of colour for once. However, I was so close to the water that salt sank deep underneath my skin to fuel my veins. In hindsight, the three years we lived in Brittany were both the best and the worst of my life.
Oh Canada…
I have never been able to answer that “where’s home for you?” until we moved to Québec. None of us really felt good in Québec. We decided to try for all the bad reasons but I have no regret though. We all grew, we found ourselves and finally discovered that home was simply in British Columbia… so we sold our suburban house and bought one without being able to visit it. Crazy? Probably. But when you know, you know. We came back to the same city but in another neighbourhood. I love it here, nature surrounds us without it being too countryside-in-the-middle-of-nowhere. I was able to get the girls accepted into a wonderful school where they already had friends. My husband now works 100% from home which is great. It was the right decision to move back here.
Now… I wish I would gather friends around me. Even though my social anxiety tends to take over meeting new people, I want to do my best to change this.
Home is simply where I decide to plant my roots.
My husband and I fell in love with Vancouver, BC (Canada) in the summer of 2006. It was an absolute truth for us: home. That deep sense of belonging. I remember being in the downtown area during the Aboriginal celebrations and listening to their traditional drums, tears falling down my face for no apparent reason. These beats were resonating deep in my bones. This is something I experienced only this one time and I believe I will never forget this.
When we made that decision to leave France, it was both easy and difficult. Easy because it was obvious to us that our lives would not be completely fulfilled where we were. Difficult because we moved without a work waiting or a permanent home address, with two toddlers, and leaving our families behind.
When I was a teenager, I had to do some research about an English-speaking country for an oral presentation and my team and I picked Canada. This is, I believe when it started for me. It was the beginning of it all for me. And this became an obsession… When I was in high school, my class was supposed to come for two weeks to Halifax, Nova Scotia, for an exchange with students. However, it did not happen because fear took over after the 9/11 events. I was planning to move to Canada after graduating high school and become an au-pair for a while.
I am curious…
What is home to you? is that a physical place? Something else?
This is kind of fascinating to me, to be honest.
I love Canada, I think I would enjoy living in Vancouver, it always looks so beautiful and interesting and one of my friends travelled there a few years ago. As for home, I don’t know, I also have moved a lot so hopefully I will find it soon! Elle xx
I really (obviously) love Vancouver and its area. Of course, there is bad like any place else but this truly is the only place I have like “yea, this is where I belong”.
I hope you will find this as well, there is nothing that compares to this feeling, especially if you have moved around a lot.
Nolwenn recently posted…What’s home, anyway? {with new vlog}
I am sure that Vancouver will become your TRUE home!
My circumstances are different but I too have lived at many addresses in half a dozen countries. We are now trying to make our home in Australia…
How long ago did you move to Australia? Are you liking it there, so far? It’s a country that has always fascinated me as well (and if Canada wouldn’t have worked out, this is where I wanted to go).
Thanks a lot for your comment, Susan.
*Waves enthusiastically from down to the South in Idaho*
I forget how many hours away from Vancouver I am, but it’s a place I hope to
visit someday.
Home? Hmmmm, big question!
I have moved 15 times in my life (I think I counted right).
I used to long for the place I grew up because everything was convenient. I could walk everywhere or take the bus or train to where I wanted to go. It was a melting pot of food from all nationalities. I do miss it very much. But it isn’t home. I’m not sure it ever was even though I was born and raised there, lived there until I was 20.
I’ve been looking for Home all my life. I have yet to find it. That place to soothes my soul and makes me feel rooted and planted, I’m still looking. I’m not sure it even exists, but I can seek and hope to find it.
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What a fascinating video! The ride to your new home is so beautiful with all the snow capped mountains. I’m glad you found your true home.
I was born in South Jersey across the river from Philadelphia. My family moved to South Florida when I was 15. I lived there for 47 years until my husband (who was also born in NJ) retired. We were tired of the heat, the overbuilding and decided to move to the mountains of NC. That was in 2000 and we’re still here with no regrets.
I feel very lucky to see those mountains on a daily basis. There is something about it that makes my heart happy every single time.
North Carolina looks like such a beautiful area to live in as well. Not having regrets is essential for a fulfilled life, in my opinion 😉
I have travelled a lot, but I have only lived in England. Home for me is wherever I feel safe. I feel safe right here right now with my husband and stepchildren, In a house purchased with the money received after my late husband passed away suddenly. Previously I felt Safe in the house half a mile up the road with him. I have moved a lot, and always due to family reasons. family dying, growing up, life experiences.
Home is where I am safe.
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Feeling safe… several of you are mentioning this criterion, which makes me think even deeper so thank you 🙂
Have you lived always in the same area in England?