Home

Whenever I met a new volunteer in Peace Corps, the introductory question would always be “Where are you from?”  I always found myself hesitating because I’ve lived in so many places—where am I from?  Sometimes I would say New York City because that was the last place I lived.  Other times, I would say North Carolina, and  would usually follow up with a short explanation of my life because the person would assume that I moved directly from N.C. to the D.R.  Other times, I would just name all the cities in one breath—North Carolina-Florida-L.A.-Washington, D.C.-New York!

In the month since I finished my service, I’ve been thinking about “home.”  First, I went to Florida to visit my siblings and parents.  Then, I went to North Carolina to visit my extended family.  I’ve spent one month catching up on the two years I missed.  One month figuring out my life for the rest of 2011.  And one month revisiting my roots and family history.

And now, I’m sitting at the Raleigh-Durham airport about to board a plane for New York so that I may start a new chapter and finally get on with it, so to speak.

I’ve really relished my time in North Carolina.  I’ve visited the places I remember as a child.  I laughed with my grandmother and learned new things about our family history, about her feelings.  In just one week, we grew closer.  And I got my Southern accent back!  Whereas I was ashamed of it back in middle school when I first moved to South Florida (not really a part of a South, but instead the home of relocated families from the North), now I wish I had never modified it.  I love the drawn out words, the honey sweet intonation.  So I’m going back to the lions’ den of New York, home of  fast-walking, fast-talking people, and I hope I keep my accent intact.

So where is “home” for me?  I think it’s North Carolina.  I felt most at ease here.  People are always kind.  Things happen at a slow pace, which I’ve come to appreciate.  And it is where my ancestors laid roots, worked the soil, and built a legacy.

I will miss being home, and I hope that wherever I go in New York, I keep Carolina on my mind.  I’m a Tarheel for sure, and my heart is stuck in North Carolina.