Where is home, anyway?

Yesterday my mom and I went to Illinois to see my family one last time before the trip. It was wonderful to see my aunts, uncles, cousins and suggogate family, but it was a bit depressing to see my grandfather.

My grandma died 4 months ago and my grandpa is, understandably, not doing too well. He's 90 and diabetic and now can only eat pureed food. And his best friend died. It was just too sad to realize that he's not going to be alive when I get back. One of his buddies was there visiting - a man who lost his wife 2 weeks ago. He was asking about grandma and I totally choked up and couldn't even respond to the poor guy.

But Illinois is home. I've never even lived there, but I can remember the countless Thanksgivings, weddings, Christmases, and funerals like they were yesterday. After 25 years I can even find my way down the country roads. Usually. So Illinois is home. And my parents live in Wisconsin, where I spent the first 18 years of my life. And North Carolina is home - I got all cheesy last time I was at UNC and told my friends that, especially after my times in Student Government, I actually feel like the physical campus is my home, not just the people I know there. And New York is home - an expensive home that was wildly fun but dysfunctional.

Now Guinea will be home.

Hmmmm...if I have homes all over the world, do I have 5 homes or none?? I'm going to go "glass half-full" on that one and say 5.

I'm going to watch cable now. And eat things that have been refrigerated - my time with cable and cold is limited and I should take advantage.