Well, if that’s really the cas, then my heart has two of them.
When I left the U.S. in 2012 to study abroad, I had every intention on returning back to the only place I called home (at the time).
However, when I returned to the U.S. in 2012, a part of me stayed in Aix…And, I never fully recovered.
At the same time, when I left the U.S. in 2014, I never really completely left.
Who says you can’t have at least 2 places you call home? If home really is “where your heart is,” then this idea that you can call multiple places home is by all means valable.
What makes a place a home? Is it having a roof over your head?
Or is it being surrounded by family…
…and friends despite the physical “housing” situation?
Is it constantly being on the road and meeting new people?
In my cas, home is the place that defines me.
It’s the U.S. – spécifiquement, my mom’s appartement.
It’s where I grew up (despite the fact that we’ve moved a few times since I was a kid).
It’s a part of my memory bank that I always turn to for funny stories from my childhood.
It’s not the place where I live now, but it’s the place where I spent 27.5 years of my life. It’s also a place of comfort. A place that will always hold my family and my oldest friends who will always be there when I come to visit.
Home is also the place where I live: France.
It’s where I’ve built my present life.
It’s where I reside with mon cheri and our précieuse daughter.
It’s where I work, grocery shop, pay bills, meet new people…
It’s my life right now as we speak.
It’s seeing Montagne Sainte-Victoire everyday…and saying, “hey, there’s our mountain!” (I grew up in the midwest, so, I have every right to call Sainte-Victoire my mountain 😉 )
It’s hearing the 8am chime of Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur.
It’s the place I can’t wait to return to when I’m on vacation!
So, my heart has two harbors: the U.S. and France. There are perks to both places, but for now, my humble, permanent abode lies in France. I’m not afraid to let go of living in the U.S.; I’m not afraid to move back, either. But, I love my life in France and I wouldn’t change anything! ♦
This is part of a blogging challenge: Topics ranging from A-Z. You can follow my challenge by clicking on the links below:
A: Adulthood: The Age of Absolute Ambiguïté
B: Bilingue: La Vie is Better Being Bilingual
C: Christianisme: Combing the Cliffs of Clarté
D: Death: Dealing with the Décès of My Dad
E: Éducation: The Endeavor of Easing into French Écoles
F: Food: Fancy or Faulty in France?
H: Home: My Heart Has Two Harbors
I: Interests: Intelligent, Insightful, Incredible!
J: Joy: La Jalousie is Overcome by La Joie
K: Khimar: Kind and Kooky Knitted Clothing Traditions
L: Lesson Plans: Leading the “Little Ones” into Language through Laughable Leçons
M: Musique: The Many Musicians Making Love on the Streets of Aix
O: Obéi: Only Open to Obeying the Rules of the Road in…
P: PACS: Passionate Partners Pledging L’amour
Q: Questions: A Queen’s Quest for Clarté
R: Raisons: Riding on the Pony of Real Reasons (to Take the A-Z Challenge)
S: Study Abroad: Smiles and Sadness Set the Scène
T: Travel: Time to Hit the Trail!
U: Under the Influence: An Ugly Upward Climb Until Reaching the Summit
V: Vulgarité: Venturing out into the Vast and Voluptuous World of Cultural Différences
theAIXpatAIXperience 
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