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The Christmas season is a time when people return to their hometowns to celebrate the holiday with loved ones. On Friday, I will be traveling back home to Monroe, North Carolina to spend time with my family. Monroe is not home just because that’s where I was born and raised.  It’s home, because that’s where I have special memories of learning how to rollerblade with my cousins in our grandparent’s driveway, it’s where I formed lifelong friendships at school and where I got my first newspaper gig. 

But this holiday season, has me wondering if a person can have two places they call home. I’m not talking about having physical homes in two separate locations. I’m talking about the sense of belonging that comes with the term, “home.” In my dictionary, home is a place where you feel as if you belong or where you’re meant to be. Beaufort County has become a second home for me. 

Working at the Daily News for seven months has afforded me opportunities to get to know people while continuing to meet many others. Also, I get to attend annual events like Smoke on the Water and county-wide Christmas parades. Being at the Washington and Bath Christmas parades amongst Beaufort County acquaintances and friends made me feel as if it was divinely orchestrated for me to work in Washington – like I was meant to be here. Meeting people and attending local events has cultivated a feeling of being home within me. The more time I spend in Washington, the more I grow to love it and call it my own. Yes, I am going home to Monroe for Christmas; however, I’ve spent the majority of the holiday season in Beaufort County – my new home.