Home Sweet Home
What is ‘home’?
For years, I felt like a nomad, settling between roommate arrangements, or living with family when all I wanted was my own place. When I moved to my apartment – no roommates or family – just me, I was finally able to surrender to the feeling of being “home, sweet, home.” When I’m home I feel happy, safe, and relaxed. But what about all the other places, people, and things that give us that sense of ‘home’?
I have moved around a lot. As I got older, finding “my people” was my way of making a new place feel like home. When I was living in Chicago during my college years, I joined two clubs – Latino Alliance and Television Arts Society. One was for networking with peers in my major, while the other was to connect with peers of the same cultural background. I found longstanding relationships with the people in these groups.
After college, I moved back to my hometown. Unlike most people who get a full-time job after college, I started my career as a freelancer working in TV and film production. Networking and building relationships became essential for my career growth. Although I had strong friendships in my hometown, the people I met at work understood me in a way my other friends didn’t because we were living through the same experiences.
Finally, when I moved to New York as a 29-year-old, it took me a little longer to get situated and make friends. When I first moved to New York City, I reconnected with friends from college and high school. In time, I found friendships at work, developed a great relationship with my neighbor, and when I decided to take salsa lessons, the other students would soon become my framily.
Through every part of my journey, ‘home’ took on a different meaning, but ultimately it was about having fun, loving, and trustworthy connections.
When I started my spiritual journey, finding ‘home’ was a soul-searching journey that required a lot of inner work and healing. By reconnecting to my truth and my authenticity, I felt myself coming back home to who I am.
In 2021, I became a certified intuitive energy reader and healer. During my certification, I was learning about the seven chakras which are the main energy points of our energetic body. The first chakra called the root chakra, or Muladhara, is located at the base of the spine and it’s responsible for your sense of security and stability.
It became clear to me that I had been living in survival mode for most of my life. My lack of stability contributed to my lack of confidence; fearing what would happen if the rug was pulled from under me. I was able to heal these parts of myself, make changes to my life, and my mindset, in order to get myself to where I am now feeling safe and secure in my inner world as well as my outer experiences.
With the holiday season upon us, this is the time of year where ‘home’ is a focal point. For anyone who may be feeling homesick this season, I know it’s not easy, but I invite you to consider all the ways home is within you. Connect with your inner child by watching your favorite holiday movies, find an old family recipe and make a dish that makes you happy. Feeling homesick can sometimes mean we’re disconnected from love, safety, and joy. Find what makes you feel those things and incorporate that into your life this season. Spend time with people who make you feel at ease, who you can be yourself around, and create new memories and new traditions. Remember, home is within us, it’s an energy we carry within us, and we can take it wherever we go.
Sunset Park Key Colony, FL - Image captured by my friend Brian Butler 12.23.19.
