Home.

“It’s been 10 months since I’ve walked those wooded acres that I’ve always known as home….”

I’m not sure what it is about driving home, but there comes a feeling in the deepest part of my soul, the part of my heart where emotion is evoked the most.  Maybe it’s listening to the Some Nights album by Fun. over and over again (they give me such a happy feeling listening to them), or maybe it’s all the old memories that come flooding back when I listen to Sadie Hawkins Dance, or the entire 2 lefts don’t make a right but 3 do album by Reliant K. More than likely listening to the Classic Crime probably had something to do with it seeing as they’re one of my favorite bands based out of Seattle and half they’re songs reflect their love for the Northwest. All I know is that this feeling caused my eyes to well up with tears of joy, almost to the point of not being able to make out the model of car in front of me. I’m going home.

“The forest I grew up in has waved goodbye many times, but he welcomes me home.”

It’s true. I grew up in the woods, mountain biking, climbing, hiking, running, skiing. And now that I’m headed into my senior year of college, I’ve driven away from the western hemlocks, huge cedars, and vine maples enough times to see them wave their branches goodbye…whether it’s imagined or not. Those moments bring tears of grief.

And so, to go back home, this time to the branches waving as to say “welcome home,” I feel hope rising. It’s where I’ve learned how important it is not to take where you grow up and the family you grew up with for granted, where I’ve realized is the best place I could ever hope to live someday, and where the environment has aided in so much of my character and development of passions….it’s an emotional ordeal. But a joyous one.

My heart has been longing this for some time.

“Oh, it’ll do my heart so good…”

Chris Molitor knows what I’m talking about.