2025/Leilany-

What is the place that you call home? This is a question that I get asked a lot being a military kid. The place that pops into mind immediately after getting asked this question is the area around Harker Heights, Texas. I’ve moved to different places only around 4 to 5 times but the place that stuck with me the most is Harker Heights. I’ve lived in that area the longest and many of my friends that I grew up with live there. Most of my memories and experiences took place in Texas as well.

For me, my home is more than just where I live currently, but it’s where I’ve felt the most happy; where I made the most experiences that shaped who I am today. In Harker Heights, I had four other family-friends that I would play with all the time. We were all around the same age and during get-togethers that would happen very often, we normally spent the entire time goofing around. Harker Heights was also where I spent most of my life. Because of this I know how to navigate around that area pretty well.

I didn’t realize how much I had missed living in Texas until I visited over the summer. I was able to see the old neighborhood that I grew up in and I also got to reunite with my friends. We all laughed and played around together like we did four years ago and it made me feel very content. I was also able to go around and visit places that I hadn’t been to in so long. So much had changed, yet it still felt like home. When I visited, I was also able to reunite with my friend from elementary school and we went to hang out together which brought back memories of when we were eight.

It doesn’t matter where I am right now, because I will always consider Harker Heights my home. I may not have noticed how much I missed everything until I visited; but I know that all those memories and experiences will stay with me wherever I go.