2025/Derek-

Will you live in the same house forever? Maybe you’ll move out once or twice to go to college or to leave your parents house. Depending on work or family, you’ll move around a couple more times. Not DODEA kids. Due to our parents’ jobs, most DODEA kids move around every 2-3 years. That means most DODEA kids will move to around 4-6 schools before graduation. For that reason, I can’t name a singular place as my home. Instead, the people I call home will always be my closest friends and family.

You may be confused. “Derek, a home is a place.” or “Derek, that’s so corny.” might be a couple thoughts that went through your mind. Let’s first dive into what I think a home even is. For me, a home is where I can be 100% honest and I don’t have to worry about public appearance or any sort of manners. A home is where I’ll always feel my safest and my best. With that being said, let’s continue with my other points.

As I mentioned before, DODEA kids move around a lot, including me. By the time this essay is written, I have moved six times, and in a month, I’ll move for the seventh time. Although half of these PCSs have been to Korea, I’ve gone to different schools each time. Since I’ve lived in so many homes, I think that my houses have been too inconsistent to call my home.

Following that thought, although my home hasn’t been consistent what has been has been my friends. No matter where I move I’ll always be able to talk to them. Whether I’m in Korea or Germany, I’ll always be able to text my friends. I put my faith and my trust into my friends, so with them I feel safe and I can be honest. That brings me back to what I said earlier, which also helps explain why my friends are what I call my home.

I think a house and a home are 2 different things. A house is just where I live, while a home is where I feel like I can rest without a worry in the world. Maybe this might be corny, but my friends are my true home.