You know the expression that home is about the people you’re with, not the place you lay down your head? Well, if that’s true for anyone, it’s true for me! I have a handful of places that feel like home: the house I grew up in in Phoenix, my family’s house in our Charleston home away from home, my grandparents house in Jackson Hole where we spend every Christmas, my grandparents house in Del Mar where we spend every summer, and Santa Monica where I currently live. At times in my life, I would have added other places to my list of “homes” like Sea Island where we stayed with my grandparents every Easter or New York City where I lived for a summer or Boulder where I went to college… all three still feel like home when I visit. But, today, I’m saying goodbye to my childhood home.
Last month, I was hit with the news that my parents are selling my childhood home. We’ve lived there since I was 6 so, for the last 20 years, it’s been my true home. During my senior year of high school, my parents almost sold our house but then decided against it. I was 100% a brat about it because, well, I was in high school. Now, at 26, I’m sad to think that I’ll never return to my house or to my bedroom but I’m thrilled for my parents and thrilled to see them excited about their next journey in life. I can already tell how happy they are about the new house they are buying and I’m feeling really excited to come home to it at Thanksgiving!
With the prospect of Edwin and I hopefully buying a house one day, I understand all the reasons my parents want to sell our home. Over this past weekend, I had a great few days at home packing up my room with my best lifelong friend and with my mom. We were literally in fits going through all the things (errr, junk) I’d saved over the years and couldn’t get over all the baby, middle school, and high school photos (middle school was so hysterical to relive… the fashion, the braces, the acne… what a mess!). While a house is so special and filled with memories, it’s really the people that make a home. I’ll miss the house I grew up in and I already know that I’ll be excited to one day tell my kids all about it but I’m excited to ring in a new chapter. Family is home no matter where the home is! Thanks for helping me with saying goodbye to my childhood home!
P.S. I have a whole board on Pinterest dedicated to homes + a handful of other specific boards on interiors and design. I don’t have a good photo of my house so you’ll find houses I love (like the 3 above) on my Pinterest.
That first house picture above is to die for!
Isn’t it!? I couldn’t agree more!! XO, Jillian