home.

Today's post is brought to you as a Blog Carnival! A day organized by fellow blogger friends Elizabeth and Jamie to get a group of us to all write one post about the same thing. I'm excited to read what each one has to share, so be sure to check them out!

home. to me.

the way i see it, home doesn't have just a single definition. home represents so many things to me. things that i feel and believe, but are sometimes difficult to put into words. and home means something to everyone. home is a topic we can all write about and share something different. so here goes...

home is the house i grew up in.
it is a corner house in a small suburban city that always has cars parked out front. it's a front door painted a welcoming red, a backyard well-landscaped with flowers my mom loves and a playful miniature schnauzer running around. it's bright with sunlight and a hodgepodge of new furniture mixed with acquired antiques. home is the perfect picture of my mother's charm and is decorated with all the things that she loves. it's the fresh smell of laundry, a stack of dallas morning news on the kitchen table and the sound of dad's music playing. it's the hutch that my grandfather built, countless photos of our family and always has a front porch light on to guide me back. it is everything i love.

home is texas.
it is wide open spaces, an endless skyline, blazing hot summer sun and miles of open roads. home is southern accents, it's "y'all", friendly greetings and a place where foods just aren't quite the same as anywhere else. it's country music, cowboy boots and sunday school. it's an exceptional passion for football, an unprecedented level of state pride and for some reason, a place where everyone drives a truck. it is everything i love.

home is a feeling.
it is unexplainable comfort. it's the familiar sense of safety and it's completely carefree. home represents faith, hope, encouragement. it's dependable, it's secure and it's seemingly unchanging. home is sensible, it's understanding, it doesn't judge and it's always welcoming. it is laughter and happiness and filled with love. home is simple, it's contentment. it is everything i love.

home is my family.
it is my mom, my dad, my sister, my brother, sister-in-law and niece, my aunts, uncles and cousins. it's spending time together, it's holiday's laughing, playing games and a lil heated competition. home is where dad cooks weekend breakfasts, mom falls asleep on the couch every time we watch a movie and my sister walks in my room to be sure I like her outfits or shoes. home just wouldn't be home without them there. they are everything i love.

home is new york.
it's the city where i've built my life. it's my cozy little apartment on the upper east side filled with everything i've acquired over the past 3 1/2 years. it's my 2 roommates who i love and depend on. it's a day-by-day adventure, a new restaurant every night, an unbelievable sense of independence. home is gallery church and the girls in my bible study. it's relying on best friends who help keep me sane. it's typically busy, it's frequently crazy, it's where i live. it is everything i love.

this is home. to me.
and it is everything i love.