Ryan & Jordan

In my mind I’m goin’ to Carolina…

James Taylor rings in my head every so often, particularly around Christmas and the start of summer. We’ll be going to Carolina again soon, and the feelings haven’t changed much since the first time I left home.

A lot of our lives will be spent traveling, meeting new people, learning new languages and cultures, and I wouldn’t trade any of it. But there is something consistently comforting about going back to where I grew up–like being invited inside out of the cold, and being wrapped in a warm blanket. The accent, the food, the hugs, the complete familiarity and the sense that not much as changed–it doesn’t get old when you are away so frequently.

Sure, I romanticize it a bit, but I also embrace my roots in a geographical place that is still so close to my heart. This time I’ll be returning with Ryan, which makes it that much sweeter. Home is where he is now, and where our Father is. And this time, home will be right near where it was for eighteen years.