Just a House

It's just a house, they all say.

It's NOT just a house. 

Not to me, it's not. 

It's my home. 

This is where I learned, everything.

From tying my shoes to rolling my eyes at quadratic equations and proofs,

This is my home. 

I learned to swim here, in that very pool. 

Every day, I'd come home from school waiting and waiting for the pool to be built. 

Until, finally...it was. 

I came home crying, from falling from a bike to learning some people weren't my friends. 

From learning how to cook to learning how to do the dishes. 

From making birthday cards for friends to relaxing on Friday nights. 

It's where I learned to be me. 

From growing a garden of plants to growing a garden of friends and communities. 

This place has taught me...everything. 

I've loved, I've fallen, I've cried, I've smiled, I've laughed, I've done everything.

Right here. 

In the place you all call, "Just a house."

It's NOT just a house. 

It's home.

And now you know why I can never leave.