The Hubs and I grew up in the suburbs of the same small city living about 30 minutes apart. We went to two different colleges, each within an hour of home. A week after I graduated college, we moved down to the DC area for the Hub’s job. That move was hard- we left everyone we knew to start some place new together as a couple. We lived in Maryland for almost 3 years and really came to love a lot of things there- the wealth of things to do, the convenience of everything being nearby and the mild winters.  But it wasn’t home.

When the Hub’s job offered him a chance to transfer to a city 60 miles north of where we grew up, we jumped at the opportunity. We chose to live in a small town halfway between his job and our home city- so it was easy commuting either way we went. At first our social life was tied into where we grew up with our friends and family who still lived there.  When we talked about home, we were still talking about where we grew up 45 mins from where we were living.

But gradually our new town become home. Making friends when you’re an adult is hard- even for me and I’ll talk to anyone! People have lives and already established friendships and breaking in to those circles is tough. Over the past 8 years though, we’ve done it. Slowly we’ve built up a great group of friends- people I can call in the middle of the night to watch my kids if something happens.  People I’m lucky and blessed to know.

Last night we spent Halloween with some of them and all I could think about is that this- my family around me, good friends celebrating with us- is what makes a place a home.