IT’S TIME TO GO HOME

I’m so excited! Why? Because tomorrow I am going to
be packing up my things, jumping in my car and driving
five hours to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Baton Rouge is
where I was born, where I spent the first 10 years of my
life, and where most of my closest friends still live. In
fact, despite having been out of the state for 14 years, I
still consider it home.
This is something that I find quite interesting. How can
I consider a city that I haven’t lived in for 14 years, and
visited for 5, home? How can I call a city home, when I
don’t even remember most of it; considering how young
I was when we moved away. The last time I visited
Louisiana, after moving in 2003, was in 2012. While my
parents were having a great time, pointing out streets
and remembering restaurants and shops that used to be
in those locations, my sister and I were completely clueless.
I may as well have been in a foreign land, because
not much was recognizable. In fact, the only locations I
did recognize where my house, the library I visited on a
weekly basis and my best friend’s street. So, why is it,
that I still consider the city home?
I think the main reason for this is that my best friends
still live there. Now, don’t get me wrong, I have friends
here in Texas and I have friends in Belgium where I
lived during high school. But the friends I have in Baton
Rouge, have been my friends for between 15 and 24
years. In fact, my best friend—who is more like a sister—
has been so since 1993. These are the friends that I
would trust with my life. These are the friends that would
be there for me at the drop of a hat. These are the friends
that, no matter what time it is, will pick up the phone if I
call them and listen to what I have to say, without being
annoyed that I’ve called so late in the day. These are
the friends with whom, no matter what we do, we always
have a great time together. We could be at the movies,
eating a meal, at a party, having deep conversations or
just sitting in silence, and it wouldn’t change how much
we love spending time with one another. A testament of
my friendship with these people, is that we haven’t seen
each other in over 5 years and we are still as close as
we would be if we saw each other every day.
Another reason I consider Baton Rouge my home, is
because it’s the city I feel most connected too. Although
I may not remember most of it, I have so many memories
from growing up in the city. From birthday parties
to school Christmas parties to Mardi Gras parades, Girl
Scout campfires and sleepovers with friends; the memories
I have made in Baton Rouge are enough to last me
a lifetime. There’s just something special about being
able to be with friends at age 24, and talk about memories
from age eight. In fact, at the school I attended in
Belgium, most of the students had known each other
since they were three-years-old and their bond was
shown in the way they acted with one another. This was
a particularly difficult time for me, because it reminded
me of my days with my friends, and made me realize
what I was missing from having moved away. Suddenly,
instead of being the one who knew all the inside jokes
and had the fun stories, I was the outsider.
My days in Baton Rouge were the happiest days of my
life. These were the days where stress was just a five
letter word. I didn’t worry about my future, my grades or
the world I was living in. I didn’t worry about tensions
or hatred or ignorance, not because it wasn’t happening
(I’m sure it was), but because I was too young
to understand everything going on. Back then, these
things weren’t my concern, and while I like being more
knowledgeable and informed about everything going
around me, I sometimes wish I could have that blissful
ignorance again. It did make me a lot happier, for sure.
But all this was in the past. Now, I live in Texas. I have
a job and I’m going to school and doing everything I
can to have a happy and successful future. But, once
in a while, I like to take a step back and go back to my
childhood. With this trip, I will get a chance to do exactly
that. For the next four days I am going to forget about
everything that is causing me anxiety and have a great
time with my friends.