Home is where the heart is

"If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?" My 6th grade teacher was a creative woman who encouraged us to dream and explore the world with this simple question. I remember kids writing about France and Italy, while others wanted to see Florida, Hawaii, or some other tropical destination. I was frustrated by the question, finding it hard to "limit" myself by a single choice. I guess I ended up in France because it reflected some dream of mine, but at the time, the day our teacher asked that question, I dreamt of so many places.

After a lot of thinking, I eventually chose to "live on a yacht" which could take me to Hawaii and avoid inconvenient volcanic erruptions. (Oh, to be a child again!) Incidently, I could also live wherever I wanted to in the world because my home was transportable. I guess I was pretty smart. What I came up with back then corresponds to me even today. I'd find it so hard to choose between different dream destinations.

Over the years I've added more destinations on my "to do list" and I don't think I could possibly visit, much less live in all those places. But it's reassuring to know that I've always been a dreamer, and have always been curious about the world around me. Perhaps one day I'll finally visit some of those places, and maybe i'll be rich enough to buy a house on every continent. In the meanwhile, i've lived 19 years in California and have spent the last 12 years in France. Many people can only visit these places in their dreams.

When asked if I miss my homeland, I say : "Home is where the heart is, and I take mine with me everywhere I go". It's like living on that yacht I dreamt about as a child. It doesn't matter where I am, but who I am with and how I pass the time I spend there. And should I move on to another place, i'll still feel at home as long as my heart is there beside me.