2025/Izzy-

“Home” is a hard word to define being a military brat. Military children move around from place to place every one to two years. I've had eight different houses that protect me from the outside weather. Eight different neighborhoods to live and play in and eight different sets of neighbors with different attitudes. I've been back and forth around the world many times. There is only one place I return to when there is an emergency. The place where I go back to visit family. This is also the place I travel to most. The state of California is where my parents grew up, and now I call it “home.”

I’ve never lived in California before. All of my family members live in San Francisco and southern California. My parents grew up in southern California, just a block away from each other. My sister and I were born just one state over in Las Vegas, Nevada. On birthdays, holidays, and family gatherings, we would always go to California. We would either travel by car or plane at any chance we get to go to California. Visiting my family was the best part of the trip. I love seeing the smiles pop up on their faces when I get to see them again. Telling my grandparents about my accomplishments in school or extracurricular activities. Seeing cousins who never left the country before and telling them all about our adventures in Asia and Europe. These memories will live with me forever.

Every time we go to California, we also go to our favorite places. Mexican restaurants, my grandparents' friend's house, and my grandparent's house are our favorite dinner spots. Downtown Delmar, Irvine Plaza, and the Fashion Island in Newport Beach are our favorite places to shop. The beach, different colleges, and my parent's old houses are my favorite sites to visit. I love seeing where my parents used to live and hearing about how they grew up. Of course,they grew up very different from me and my sister. I love going to stores where I am able to buy my favorite things. These places always bring back many fun memories.

The weather in California is the same thing every day of the year. It's always sunny and beautiful outside, which already makes me feel good. I always go down to the beach at least 10 times during my stay. The hot sand gets between my toes and all over my things at the beach. The cold Pacific water always hits my legs as the waves crash. The sun shining down on me somehow leads to a sunburn, even with sunscreen on. Being jealous of the surfers surfing while I boogie board. It's the best feeling in the world. I let go of my problems and focus on myself when I go to California. My problems are hundreds of miles away. And can be dealt with once I return to the base I'm living at.

In my whole life, I've lived in 8 different places around the world, outside of the United States overseas. I've never lived in California, only visited the state often. But if I add up all the days, weeks, and months, it would be way more than two years. Two years is the longest time I've ever lived in one place due to my Dad's job. Although my family had eight homes and moved in fourteen years, the state of California will always be “home” to me.