Home Sweet Home

SS Blog Challenge #14: This week tell us about the places you've called home. Have you lived in one place all your life? Tell us about it and why you've chosen to stay there. Have you lived in many places? Where have you lived and what have you done to make each place feel like home? What has been your favorite place to live and why?

I was born and raised in central Ohio, and my parents still live in the house I commonly refer to as "home." We moved in there when I was three, so I lived there for 15 years before going to college. It drives my husband insane that I refer to my parents' house as home. But I can't help myself. When I walk in the front door, it just feels like home - still as comfortable as it was when I was a child. And it still smells like Murphys Oil from mom's cleaning binges...just like when I grew up. When my parents sell that house, I will be supportive, because it's simply too big for them now, but I will be crushed inside. I love going "home" and I that my children sleep in the same room I used to when I was their age.

After I graduated from high school, I went to college in Toledo. My first year there, I lived in the dorm. I HATED dorm life. It didn't help that my roomate was psychotic, but that's not the only reason I hated it. As soon as school ended in May, I moved into a house right off campus where I stayed all summer while I worked. The house was owned by a girl I met on campus my first year, and they were renting it out for her and some friends to live there. There were six of us total, but everyone else went hom for the summer. So...I lived there alone all summer, and it was great to have a big, QUIET place to myself. It was great when they moved in, too. I mean, we all got along and did our own thing. But man, was it LOUD with six girls...and the seven guys who lived next door that were always over!!!

After my second year of college, I moved all my stuff home because I was engaged and would be moving to Michigan, where my then-fiancee (now husband) was working. I stayed with my folks from the end of May until July 5 when I got married. On July 6, we packed up all our wedding presents and all my stuff and headed North. We've been in Michigan ever since.

Our first apartment (where Ron lived before we were married) was SO small!!! It was in a not-so-great area, but was very cheap...which is why he chose it. As soon as the lease was up that following spring, we moved to another apartment.

Our second apartment was AWESOME. Our unit was behind a small orchard, so we saw trees, flowers and animals all the time. We woke up every day to the sounds of roosters, and we saw lots of ducks every day. That orchard helped insulate the noise, so our apartment was very quiet. It's also where we lived when our son was born, and we lived there through his first year.

In September 2002, we bought our first house...and it's where we still live. It's a 1200 ft² brick ranch with a full, unfinished basement. We have a very small yard, which we made private with a fence, and we have a garage...which is unusual for our block. Most homes don't have a garage and many don't have basements - we are very lucky to have both. It is, however, making it very hard to see in this market!

So even though I've been married and living in Michigan for 10½ years, I still view my parents' house as "home." I don't know if that will change when they sell it and move or when I move into my next house...but I'm sure there will be a transition of my "home" sometime.