2025/Susie-

I’ve never lived in the same place for more than a few years, yet somehow, I’ve always known exactly where home is. Home to me is my family, the people I surround myself with, and the service I do for others. My home is beyond a physical house, but a sense of belonging and purpose that comes from the connections I made and the impact I have on those around me.

From the moment I was born, I’ve learned that home isn’t defined by walls or a fixed address. A big part of what I call home is the people who support and love me. Growing up as a military child, my family became my constant in a world of change. Whether we were stationed across the country or overseas, the comfort of my parents' voices and my brother's laughter was what made each place feel like home. It was never about where we lived, but who we lived with. In the places we went such as Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates with the blazing sun and unlimited dunes or South Korea with the snow capped mountains and the high towers, my family was the only constant source of comfort I could rely on. They reminded me that home is more than a physical place, it’s the love and connection shared between the people who matter most.

Even though my family is a big part of the place I call home, they can’t be everywhere. In places like schools and sports, the people I surround myself with can change one’s entire perspective on what they are doing. School can be draining especially in a foreign place with foreign kids. The kids may not be fond of you because you aren’t “normal,” which can make school a very hated place. However, the people I surround myself with can change that. Good friends can feel like a straight light in a world full of swirling darkness. The light can guide you to a better place where you are happier. When going through major changes, such as moving to a foreign country, your friends can help you through those changes. Like showing you to the good “kofta” places and guiding you to the “kiosks.” Friends may not always be constant, but they are a step towards adaptation. They can help you feel comfortable and confident in your own skin even if others around you are very different.

Home can be separate from the people you know, it can also be a feeling. There are big moments in my life that changed me to be a better person. One of these moments was my service trip to Kenya, East Africa. In Kenya, I vaccinated goats, built elephant deterring fences, and helped local African schools around me. I painted walls, filled water tanks, and made bricks to further the expansion of the school. When I did these things, at first, I felt exhausted. I pondered things like, “Why am I doing this?” But by the second half/ end of the trip, I had a feeling of fulfillment and enlightenment. This was because I had realized how blessed I was to have all my resources. I had a big, functioning house that was fully air conditioned. My mother drove me to school. I went to an expensive school with lots of technology, able to compete in sports, had a phone, etc. I had so many more opportunities and resources than the people I was helping, yet, they seemed so happy despite the broken down school, sandy field, and very hot weather. I had played with the local kids at the schools and they had given me lots of notes and hugs. They showed me their culture and their games and at every activity they never seemed upset. They were always happy, ready to show me something new. Once I finally realized it, I greatly wanted to help in any way I could. They showed me that I don’t need fancy things to feel happy, and I realized that making others' lives better made me feel a sense of joy. This was a very different experience for me and it unlocked a whole new way to feel joy and a new sense of wanting to help others. Helping others can make a place feel like home.

No matter where I go and what I do, my home will always have a place in my heart. I don’t have to come back to a physical place to feel a sense of belonging, I can feel it when calling my family, making new friends, or even helping an old lady cross the street. At the end of the day, home is not the place where I unlock the door with my jangling keys. It’s beyond walls, always there, and waiting for me.