Thrive thursday: Home

This is a on going series that is posted on thursday's, to answer the question: "What helps you to thrive in your environment?" The series is written by myself, and a variety of guest Contributors. This week, I want to comment on how feeling like you are home can make you thrive.

i know, i know. it has been a while. I have been EXCEPTIONALLY busy, as you have probably gathered from my lack of posting. I left Montreal last friday, still with two papers to hand in (for monday). It was kinda nice to be leaving, but sucked knowing that I had to hermit myself until I would be done my papers. I spent saturday-monday at coffee shops full time. from open to close, with a little break for a dinner with friend on saturday, church on sunday. and sleep. of course sleep. I wanted to get off to the mountains on tuesday, but, alas. I was not yet done. At 4 pm on tuesday afternoon, I handed in my last paper for the semester. It was about a "caring theory." it may possibly have been 15 pages filled with nonsense, but it was 15 pages of something. and, with THAT, i am officially 1/2 WAY DONE MY DEGREE! wooooooOOOOOooooooo!

with that celebration done (which, in itself could be a post that makes me feel like I am thriving), i will move on to what is the hot topic of my life these days: being "home."

as you may know, I am a bit of a nomad. I effectively moved away from my family home at age 15. since then, I have never lived more than 4 years in one place. people may see it as unsettled, and sometimes it feels like that. But, i see it as learning opportunities, and chances to meet amazing people, and have incredible adventures, and learn about cultures. but, there is something about home... something that makes me thrive.

it is a long answer when people ask me "where is home?" or "Where are you from?" the second is easier, but answering that question is quite accurate about where i feel at home... cause where I am from does not necessarily feel like home. Nor does montreal feel like home. I know africa feels like a home, but, it is not totally home either; in africa, I will always be an outsider. but here, in western canada, in Vancouver, I feel the more at home than anywhere I have in my life. (and, i am not saying that i am going to 100% settle here. I am just saying that the west coast culture fits with me... it feels like coming home when I am here.)

to me, home is where my people are. home is where I can feel 100% in my own skin, or like I can have some roots set, and or go to a place where i feel like things flow naturally. home, to me, is where you can meet for coffee with friends, and not feel like time has passed. it is where you can stay at a friends, and not feel like you are being a burden. it is where you see places that you can know that your passions can be engaged. it is where you know that no matter how long you go away for, you can come back, knowing that you have a community. you can leave, knowing that when you return, you have comforts. home has a sense of comfort.

and, it is in this christmas season, where I hope that YOU can feel "at home." where ever that is... if home is people, or home is a location. I have had, amazingly, over the past few years many times to feel like I am spending christmas "At home." and, not once, has it been in the same location.

home should help us thrive in our environment. or maybe it is that if you find a place that you feel like you are thriving, maybe you should consider making it your home. either way, to me it seems as if it goes hand in hand. home is settling. home is warm. home should allow you to flourish and prosper and thrive.