When it comes down to it, my home is like my favorite food. It is made up of a wide variety of ingredients and my house is only one of them. For the sake of this essay, I will focus on what I find to be the most prevalent ingredient in this meal—the memories that are created within a house. Although I am only fourteen years old, I can already express how significant memories are as a part of my home. Whether it is in Olympia, Washington, or Kurihama, Japan, my memories are the main way that I develop my idea of home. For example, I remember the daily routine that I go through when I wake up for school. I remember watching hours upon hours of Survivor with my dad. I remember painstakingly taking notes for economics. I even remember waking up at four in the morning on February 21, 2020, so that I could listen to BTS’ new album, Map of the Soul: 7. Although these memories are intangible, they are very impactful because they are personal thoughts and moments that will stay with me for the rest of my life. This strong bond that subconsciously developed eventually transformed my house into my home. A vital aspect of these memories is that they don’t have to be perfect. There are some days where even though I love my favorite food, I don’t have a strong desire to eat it. This feeling isn’t because I have experienced a drastic change of heart. It just shows that I long for some variation. For my home, there are days where I simply want to go outside and be free of all the annoyances I have faced. This thought is increasingly relevant today, considering how people all over the world are required to stay home. Whether it is because of loneliness or frustration, being stuck in the same scenery can be overwhelming. However, when I think about this, I remember the phrase “I want to go home.” This allows me to reflect on all of the memories that I have created and recognize how much I need my home right now. I can see that my memories initiated a gradual transition from an indifferent house to a special, lovely place. This is what created my forever evolving home.
