As I read through many posts regarding my classmates personal definitions of the term “home,” I couldn’t help but find it quite intriguing that many of us arrived at several derivatives of the same definition, despite our vastly different experiences as children and young adults. After reading posts from Claire, Alex, Gabrielle, Chase, Sashini, and Maya, I came to appreciate these similarities as representing an innate sense of home that we come to develop as we grow older, and the differences as representing the diversity of experience that has led us to who we all are today.
Overall, I think that there was a general agreement between these individuals in the idea that home cannot always be defined by a singular place, or structure that we inhabit with our family. For many like myself, it seemed as though the difficulty in placing ones sense of home in a physical place is derived from moving a lot as a child, or simply from being a young adult that lacks the more permanent settlement of true “adults.” I, for one, understand this as I have moved four times in the four years that I’ve been at UBC. Rather, many of my classmates discussed that there is more of a mental and emotional sense of home, as being a place of collective moments that you cherish.
Alexandra and Claire both discussed this in terms of their childhood homes and the memories associated with them, as they were the setting of many life chapters beginning. In both of their posts, they discussed the milestones that are associated with/define ones sense of home, allowing it to become the place that one will remember as they begin their journey into the world as an adult. Alexandra reflects on the renovation of their family home, and how the floor is underlain with cement that has the hand/footprint of her as child. This can be seen as a marking memory of her family’s making of a home, where she would associate many of the future moments she would share with loved ones. Similarly, Claire recalls the renovation of her family home, where she would go on to learn how to ride a bike, have her first kiss, and make other memories that would shape what home means to her. In both cases, their sense of home was not necessarily rooted in the houses themselves, but in the memories/alterations that marked the structures as their families’.
Chase and Sashini further this by discussing how ones sense of home can expand beyond the borders of family, and how this becomes a feeling of love and community belonging. It can be defined by the care and concern that is shared between coworkers, friends, and significant others, and how this care exists between people even when there is no familial obligation between them. Sashini discusses this in terms of the difficulty of being a young adult in the transitional period of life, as we all make space for ourselves and primarily lack a sense of permanent settlement. In my opinion, this is when home becomes an essential mental and emotional construct, as we seek to define it in those who surround us and anchor us as we work our way into adulthood.
While many are able to root our sense of home in our family or childhood homes, this is not the case for all. When considered literally, “home” is not a comforting place for many, and is too often not a place where one can associate love and support. Maya and Gabrielle discuss how many people may have a complicated sense of home while growing up, and how many will seek to root it in the connection and support that they get from friends. Gabrielle describes how her sense of home was found in those who allowed her to assert her individuality without question, and Maya discusses how it becomes a place where you can feel the most safe and secure.
Reflecting on what I have read, I have realized more about how I have constructed my own definition of “home.” I now recognize that it holds a deeper meaning within the relationships that I share with my friends, and the roles that they have in my life as a young adult. I also see it now in certain memories that I didn’t before, and appreciate all of the experiences that I have had throughout my life that have aided in its construction.
Works Cited
Sumel, Maya. OOH Canada. 29 Jan. 2020. Retrieved from https://blogs.ubc.ca/mayasumel/. 3 Feb. 2020.
Taylor, Claire. “Shared Values of Home.” ENGL372 Claire Taylor. 28 Jan. 2020. Retrieved from https://blogs.ubc.ca/clairetaylor/. 3 Feb. 2020.
Sinclair, Alexandra. ENGL372: Canadian Literature. 29 Jan. 2020. Retrieved from https://blogs.ubc.ca/clairetaylor/. 3 Feb. 2020.
Rienhart, Gabrielle. “The Story of Home.” Explorer Gaby’s Blog. 28 Jan. 2020. Retrieved from https://blogs.ubc.ca/gabyliteratureexplorer/2020/01/28/the-story-of-home/. 4 Feb. 2020.
Thomson, Chase. “Home is More.” Chase Thomson’s ENGL372 Blog. 28 Jan. 2020. Retrieved from https://blogs.ubc.ca/chasethomsonengl372/2020/01/28/assignment-22-home-is-more/. 3 Feb. 2020.
Weerasundara, Sashiri. “Home, Oh My Wonderful Home.” ENGL372: Canadian Literature. 28 Jan. 2020. Retrieved from https://blogs.ubc.ca/sashini/. 3 Feb. 2020.
