Where's Home?

I’m from Detroit, Michigan. Yes, DETROIT Detroit. That’s the answer to the follow up question “Where in Detroit are you from?” Those asking expect a suburb because the city of Detroit doesn’t have the best or most accurate reputation. But, my hometown is going through a huge revitalization and while I don’t understand or agree with all of the politics that goes into that, every visit back is exciting to see the new life being breathed into it.

I lived in the South Bend, Indiana area as a student at Saint Mary’s College and then again as an adult. Driving by my old party haunts with kids in tow is an interesting experience to say the least. At my ten year college reunion, a bunch of us rolled up to a party . . . In my minivan.

ROLL TIDE. My husband’s job took us to Birmingham, Alabama shortly after we married. My extended family is from Montgomery and the Southern Hospitality is so real. People would ask where we were from and the next question was always “Have you found a church yet.” It’s where our first child was born and my grandparents were the first of our families to meet him. We lived there for 3 years and my grandparents passed away a year later. Definitely time we’ll spent.

We traded the Bama heat for Wisconsin winters. This is where my husband is from and I mentioned in a previous post that people are really friendly there and frozen custard is King. And cheese. And The Packers. And beer. And now the Bucks.

These prints remind me that we really don’t have to go super far to experience more of the world. But I do think we owe it to the world to see all it has to offer. Did I have negative experiences in each of these places? Absolutely. But, every experience added to my strength that I wouldn’t have had if I’d just stayed put in a comfortable bubble.