When we last spoke, I was in the midst of house hunting, and it was not going well.
I think an update on this front is definitely in order. As of a few hours ago, we - my 5 friends and I - have signed a lease on a gorgeous house for next year, that we are all completely in love with. It is unbelievably relieving to have this settled, and it makes for one less thing to worry about, as school work has really started to get intense.
In choosing a house, in addition to all the normal questions and must-haves, I found myself taking into account the "feel" of each one, much more than I thought I would. When you grow up in a house, the feel isn't something you notice - it feels like home because it is. But now that I'm on my own, I get to define what home is, what home feels like. And although this will be my first bricks-and-mortar house, I've had plenty of different homes in the past few years, so I'd like to think I know a thing or two.
One of my first homes was Harry Potter. The world of the young wizard, whisked from his closet bedroom to a world of wonder and magic, has always been a comfort and an escape for me. But it wasn't until a few years ago, when I stumbled upon wizard rock, that I truly felt at home. The amazing community surrounding these books has given me love, support, friends, adventures and memories - everything a home should.
Another home for me has been the nerdfighter community. Sometimes I'm still in awe of the awesomeness that is this group - I literally have to remind myself that this rabbit hole I fell into is, in fact, real. The acceptance that I have felt among nerdfighters is unbelievable. While watching the Vlogbrother's show at Carnegie Hall (via livestream), I experienced two different aspects of this community. I shared jokes, songs, happiness, tears, and most of all, inspiration, with thousands of nerdfighters around the world, and it was awesome. But I also got to hang out with some IRL friends - who I would absolutely not have met if it wasn't for nerdfighteria. They are nerdfighters, but I just consider them great friends, and I think that is an amazing thing about this community. In both ways, nerdfighteria has been an excellent home for me.
And for many, many years now, I have had another home, one where you are more likely to find four-legged friends than two-legged ones. Sometimes, spending time with horses is all I need to get over a bad day, or a bad week - they will always listen, and never judge. The barn has been an escape, it has sheltered and protected me, but it has also taught me things. To communicate clearly. To set and achieve goals. To work hard, even when it looks like you are getting nowhere. And, most importantly, to never look down.
I hope that our new home will be all of these things - shelter, support, friendship and important lessons. And no matter how excited I am about the hardwood floors or the new cabinets, I'll remind myself that it isn't the house that's important, it's the home - and it's really only a home when we make it one.
Goodnight, bloglings
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