Reading through peoples’ collected stories around their sense of home, I was interested to learn where everyone had lived, and how they came to be connected to British Columbia. As someone who has always lived in Vancouver, I did not have the experience of moving somewhere completely new and having to start my life over again. Though everyone had very different stories to tell of the places that they have been, here are a few commonalities that I have found while reading through blogs:

Home is not always a place.
Often we connect the word ‘home’ to the space in which we reside, but I have encountered living spaces that were less than welcoming. Sometimes you find your home in a person or an activity, or a deep bond that you share with a geographical space.

The concept of home is associated with deep feelings of belonging.
Often this sense of belonging is influenced by the people in one’s community- found through respect, common interests, or shared experiences. I am reminded by the pride often associated with being connected to certain places, and the tendency to feel defensive when our neighbourhoods are criticized. I am interested to see how our emotional ties to Canada will factor into our discussion, but I welcome this challenge.

Thank you for sharing your stories.