Home?

My changing perception of home confuses me. Before going off to college I believed that the house I lived in for 18 years would always hold the title of "home." I thought that school and my dorm in Harborview would never be anything other than a college dorm to me. But now I often refer to both my house and HBV 1123 as my home. Is it possible to have more than one home? And has school become more of a home for me than my own house?

My Mom, Dad, and little sister live in my house back on Long Island. I love my family. We get along and have fun together. I was one of those rare teenagers who didn't want to kill their parents during the "rough years." Sure, we had arguments but I never stopped loving them, never hated them, never wanted to move out and get my own apartment. I enjoyed spending time with them and I still do whenever I get the chance. I'm lucky in that respect.

But each time I go back to Long Island, I'm overwhelmed with thoughts that reel through my head. Driving around that neighborhood, going into stores, restaurants, walking through the halls of my high school triggers something deep down in the pit of my stomach. I'm forced to deal with issues that I wish I was over by now. Issues that, for the most part, don't bother me when I'm at school.

At school, I'm working my ass off and having the time of my life. I'm learning an immeasurable amount and meeting great people. I have a solid group of fun, trustworthy friends and an extremely caring, sweet, boyfriend who makes me happy. Nothing here reminds me of things I don't want to be reminded of. Here, it's easy, even with all the school work and such.

So which one is my home? Or are they both my home in different ways?