Home is where the heart is...

  Watercolor print from Etsy.com

I've lived in the same small town in the same small house for 14 years now. Until recently, I've always referred to my house as my home. Following my Mom's decision to relocate given recent changes, such as my departure to college, I have spent a lot of time contemplating the idea of home and what the context of home really is. 

Only a few days ago, I conveniently stumbled upon a quote in Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance; "to travel is more important than to arrive." Talk about irony. I then finalized my once indefinite hypothesis regarding home. I sided with the cliche quotes "the journey is our home" and "home is where the heart is" that have rightfully existed for a reason. 

Life is not about the arrival, but the journey. We need to constantly change and adapt to allow ourselves to recognize that the core is never changing, despite alterations in material aspects, such as the roof over our head. 

I will forever be grateful to our tiny colonial house for a lovely backdrop to a majority of my families 14 years of memories thus far, but I am optimistic that leaving our house behind will not mean saying goodbye to home.

"The Journey Begins Here" oil painting from Etsy.com

Sisterly Love

 My phenomenal friend Hannah (we frequently introduce ourselves as "Hannah Squared" with zero shame) and I share many things in common other than our name. One of those things is our tremendous appreciation and empathy for our families, and particularly for our sisters. Hannah, having recently posted a dedication to her sister, inspired me to do the same. I never thought being away from home would lead to an unsettling yearning for my sister, Kait, since we haven't officially lived together for many years now. I unsurprisingly misjudged.

My sister and I became particularly close when she was in the midst of her college years and I was just entering high school (she is six years older.) Our inevitable bond with one another is one I am most grateful for. She constantly inspires me with her intelligent, creative and compassionate interests, talents and overall path in life. I am constantly thinking about my Sis here in Vermont, and spend a solid amount of time considering what activities we both need to partake in when we reunite over Thanksgiving break. Below is the list thus far, consisting of some of our most favored past-times.

Cooking, cooking and lots of cooking. We are foodies at heart and enjoy creating food as much as we enjoy eating it. This gem of a recipe is without-a-doubt on the list of things to cook.

Thrifting. My mom, sister and I have recently established a tradition of taking a ritualistic Sunday trip to a local antique shop back home, all being thrifters and heavily interested in antiques and bobbles of all sorts.

 

Crafting. Though the possibilities are endless, I know my sister and I will inevitably spend time crafting once reunited... perhaps making this necklace, a craft project I've been eyeing.

Going to the movies (or cuddling up beneath a comforter and watching them at home.) Yet another basic pastime. A diminutive theater resides in the next town over back home, offering home-baked items to munch on and a select four or so indie films for viewing. These few flicks are on my current list of must-see's: 50/50, The Debt and Restless.

Love and miss you to the moon and back Katie!

*Photos courtesy of weheartit.com*

Family Ties

One of my favorite past times is re-visiting old memories by re-discovering the multiple boxes of photographs that helped document my childhood. My family and I have turned this simplistic action of flipping through piles of blueprints into a ritualistic event that almost always results in laughter and amusement. This weekend, my family and I practiced this tradition yet again, and this particular time, we came across some very beautiful photographs of my mom (see below). Although I'm always feeling thankful for my mom's presence, seeing these pictures of her and her unique beauty reminded me how grateful I am to have her in my life.

"in any case, you are always there,
tremulous breath at the end of my line,
curve of water upleaping
to my water rod, dazzling and grateful,
touching and sucking."

-sylvia plath