Etxe : Home with Kristen
Each Tuesday we'll be posting a new perspective on ETXE : HOME. This next piece in the series was sent in by Kristen who is about to start foreign service in Bamako, Mali for a two year gig at the US Embassy.
How do you define home?
I've lived at well over 20 addresses in the last ten years. My current job moves me to a new foreign country every two years. While I periodically circle back to the house I grew up in home is not a place for me. Home is more the feeling I have when I connect who I am with where I am. Home is also the memories, nostalgia, and past events that shaped me as a person. One I have to actively work to create as I move and the other I carry with me to keep me grounded.
There is a lot of this in my life.
What in your closet makes you feel most at home?
I'm not someone who has a strong connection with any of my clothes. I used to have an old t-shirt of my father's that I loved, but I gave it to my youngest sister a few years back. I do have quilt that my grandmother made me when I was about 3 years old that normally stays in my closet, but right now it's in storage. I'll be reunited with it sometime later this year when it finally meets up with me in Africa.
What is your favorite memory of home?
I have many wonderful memories of shared meals with my family, immediate and extended, where we would sit and talk for hours. The laughter and stories make up some of my favorite memories. My parents were also very involved in everything my siblings and I did, I have great memories of them while growing up.
My dad playing with me, my sister, and some neighborhood friends.
What’s something you always take with you when traveling to remind you of home?
Art/project supplies. Growing up my mother always had us involved in some sort of creative project. Where ever I go I'm taking and usually buying supplies for different projects. It gives me purpose in the moment and keeps me connected to my past and family.
My niece and nephew (in one of my previous apartments) using colored pencils, some of which I bought in France.
Read last week's ETXE : HOME with Brian.
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