For this assignment I read the blog posts of Sarah Afful, Nargiza Alimova, Emilia Brandoli, Megan Cameron, Aran Chang, and Sophie Dafesh (it’s a complete coincidence that they’re the first six students listed on the “student blogs” page I swear). This is my list of takeaways/summaries from their stories, along with commentary:

• Home is found in the love of one’s family
  •  Particularly when one is young
• The home for an immigrant is elusive, and they often feel stuck between two worlds
  •  When one moves from one place to another, especially when it’s a regular thing, one is unable to develop the same kind of attachment to the geographic place wherein one resides that others do
• Home is a point in time with one’s family
  •  I particularly liked this point, it emphasizes the fact that physical location isn’t as important as temporal location
• Home is found within one’s relationships
  •  Similar to previous points made in other stories, but makes the important point that it’s not just familial bonds that can create a sense of home, but friendships as well
• Home is a circle of love that one surrounds oneself with
  •  Similar to previous points made, but I particularly liked how it was worded (I pulled this almost verbatim from the story)
• Home is a complicated feeling made up of many parts
  •  It’s difficult to define what “home” means, and any attempt to define it will inevitably leave out an important aspect
• One can’t truly understand one’s home until one leaves it
  •  Related especially to the point made about immigrants, and applies to more than just one’s home. Similar to the saying “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone.” It’s always difficult to appreciate or understand something when you’re in close proximity to it, it often requires taking a step back (physically, temporally) and viewing it more objectively/reflectively in order to truly understand/appreciate it