Home.
Where the family is,
Where the movies are marathoned,
Where the Saturday night spaghetti dinners are rejoiced in,
Where the laughter spills over in bubbly waves, effortlessly again and again.
But also- elsewhere.
In lunch periods spent in Founders Hall, talking about everything and simultaneously nothing,
In drives down Seventh to the beloved Starbucks instead of the pages of homework due at 11:59 (#irresponsibility),
In discussions of purpose, identity and evangelization over AJs sweet tea, sitting in the shade of green umbrellas,
In late night sleepover chats, with messy buns and sweatshirts plastered with our high school mascots, bright eyes dreaming up futures teeming with possibility.
Even when we leave,
Our hearts remain in the Arizona desert.
This is the ode to a home so beautiful,
So tender,
So sweet,
So sacred-
We’ll be back eventually.