What Is This Thing Called Home?

Sitting at the place where this blog first started, the airport (not the one in Helsinki, sadly) heading to visit family in the south, got me thinking about the meaning of home.

Home is a concept that can have a very different meaning for all of us.

Home can be the house you grew up in, the city you were raised in or the country that you come from. Some of us have such a strong feeling of home in the city they grew up in that they could not imagine living anywhere else. As for me, I've never felt such a strong connection to one specific place due to moving around in Finland and Europe. I have to admit that I do sometimes envy those people who have such a strong connection to their home town that it has become a part of their identity. But in the end I know that that's who I am and that's okay.

Home has become quite a flexible concept for me; I define home by where I live and where I feel I belong to. And right now Berlin is home. I feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be right now and after a time of feeling lost in life, I can tell you that it's a pretty great feeling!

The biggest reason why it has been so easy for me to feel at home in a new city is probably the fact that I adapt to new situations quite quickly. Also, having good people around you that you can share not only your happiness but all the difficult times with makes all the difference.

Skating is also something that helped me find my place here as I could connect with other people who share the same passion and help me feel like I belong. Although I was a little worried joining the training at first since I only everything in Finnish and wasn't sure if the trainers would talk English at all since my German is not nearly perfect yet... But as it turned out I was worried for no reason! Although I had some minor challenges in the beginning (who doesn't in a new country?!), I'm now learning the German terms AND have striven to speak only in German during the sessions.

Being able to feel like home in a new city doesn't mean that I don't miss my friends and family in Finland and I do still consider Helsinki home as well. I love the city and I feel at home there, being surrounded by my fellow Finns and a lot of my best friends. However, I don't think the strength of friendships is defined by your geographic location; I know that when I go back home and I'm reunited with my friends, it will be just like old times. I know that they're there for me when I need them and they know I'm here for them, whatever the case.

And this feeling is what makes it so easy to feel like home here. It's a good feeling.

How do you define home?