Courtney Davis October 2, 2014
Bethany Quest III First Essay What is Home?

The definition of home is the place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family or household or an institution for people needing professional care or supervision. This definition describes home in the most basic form that truly has no other meaning. The first definition does not take into account the millions of people who possibly do not have a permanent residence or who has no family. It seems to suggest home is a place without personal value; well I think that the term home has a considerably large amount of personal significance that give it a different definition depending on each individual.
Home is a place that one would want to go to. “I just want to go home”, clearly indicates a want to go to a certain place. This goes back into the notion that home does not specifically have to be a house. There are plenty of people who feel at home in places that are nowhere close to a permanent residence. There are some people who live in the city, but feel like they are at home when they visit the mountain side. To feel at home, I think, constitutes being at home no matter where it may be. It is a place where people can be content or possibly happy. Home is a place where one could live according to who they feel that they are. Home is a place of expression. It may seem like this is only true for those who own their own house and can decorate it according to their personal preference. This is true; however, the beginning statement could be true for people growing up in their own household. This is because they are discovering who they want to be starting in a home. Of course, there are some people who grow in troubled households, but that in turn shapes them into who they turn out to be. Each person has the power to decide who they want to be and the home provides them a place to grow into the person they want to be. Then if the possibility arises for people to have their own residence, that personal expression can be projected through different means of lifestyle choice. Their residence then becomes a home, not because it is a permanent structure where they live, but because they are living their life according to their preference.
The human race thrives on the relationships with each other. The only reason the world has any significance is because there are people to share life and life experiences with; the world would be mighty lonely and boring if there were only one person. That is the general reason why people are so important in each individual’s life. The home doesn’t have to solely revolve around a standing house; it can be considered a home because of the people and relationships that reside there. Family can be considered the main reason a place is considered home, but there are other relationships i.e. friendships, partnerships, and citizenship that play a major role in the recognition of a home. There are some people who have very strong ties to their family and there are also some people who do not. For some people, the strongest relationships they have are with the friends that they have which makes the place where they have their family their home. I firmly believe that “it is the people that make the place.” All of that plays on the cliché, home is where the heart is and I know exactly where my heart lies. Because my life seems to be constantly changing, I consider myself to have two completely separate homes. The first being 55632 East 27th Place, Strasburg, CO 80136 in a small, brown two-story house in a town nick-named “Tiny Town”. I consider this place to be my home because that is a place where I feel happy. Even though I have not lived there for very long, that place has grown to be one of the few places I find myself thinking that I want to be. It is not the house that I particularly like, it is the feeling that I get when I am there that makes it home to me. In that place, I can be who I want to be and flourish in that particular sense. Even though those two are important factors that make that particular place home to me, the relationships that I have in that place are by far the main reason I consider that place a home. The relationships that I have and maintain in that place mean more to me than anything in the world. The relationships that I have with my parents, brother, family members, and friends all flourish there. My second home is Bethany College in Lindsborg, KS. This place is relatively new to me, but has a sincere place in my heart. I want to be here and when I am gone all I want to do is come back. People seem to think I am crazy for wanting to come back to a small town in rural Kansas where there doesn’t seem to be anything that makes the place beautiful. For some reason, this place is truly beautiful to me. This place has caused me to change in many ways while at the same time strengthening my already established ways of being. I have gotten the chance to adapt to the changes around me and without directional influence, be who I want to be. Just like in my other home, the relationships that I have here truly make the place home. I find myself missing the support of my friends, teammates, peers, teachers, and mentors when I am gone.
Home is more than a just permanent residence; that term has taken on a very meaningful definition which is specific to each individual. The above three main attributes: contentment, personal growth and preference, and relationships are the main components that make a place a home in my opinion. There are only two places at my current state in life where I can say that exemplify that specific criteria. So now, what is home to you?