Home and the "Re-Encounter"

If someone were to ask you what "home" means to you, your answer may differ from that of the person next to you. I know that my definition of "home" has changed over time, from "a place where you hang your hat" (thank you, Daniel-san) to "a comfy place that feels like a warm pair of slippers." There were definitely days when I've said home is the "2 story brick building surrounded by a white picket fence." And then the definition matured into "a place where you're surrounded by family who you love and who loves you."

The past few months have been an invitation to "re-encounter" the place where I was born and called home for 14 years, longer than any other place I've lived. In this time, I've visited places I would frequent with friends as well as discovered hidden gems that I never knew existed...but am glad that I have now. Here are some highlights:

Clockwise from top left: Badger Mountain, 14 Hands, Kagen's Coffee and Crepes and Ray French Orchard (featuring Holly, the North American House Hippo)

I loved having my niece visit me for about a month. She had decided she wanted some time to process graduating with her Masters and chose my hometown as her place of retreat. I took her to some of my favorite spots around town, some of which she loved and others that weren't necessarily something to write home about. These are the places that bring up nostalgia for me - places where I would go to meet friends or sit on my own to mediate on what was going on in my life. They are, in many ways, the old, reliable pair of fuzzy slippers that I can slip into when times get rough or when I just want something familiar. These are the places where a number of memories were created, and upon the "re-encounter," they are the places where more memories (both pleasant and not so pleasant) could be formed. There have been some facelifts to these old favorites, and COVID has definitely changed the way some of them do business. But I still love them all the same, and I was happy to see that one thing has definitely not changed: You just can't beat these Washington sunrises!

In addition to these oldies but goodies, I've learned that there are even more places to visit right in my backyard. A friend and I spent a day in Walla Walla, a nearby "up and coming" town. Since my secondary love language is food, we ate our way through the place! I firmly believe that it's necessary to visit places that the locals love. I'm making it into a habit to ask the servers at restaurants, shop owners, and people walking around town to tell me about their favorite hangout spots. It may not be what you're looking for, but they'll definitely be able to provide you with some ideas. First things first, we went out to lunch, which I will gloss over because although the food was good, the service was very subpar (sub-double bogey is more like it). BUT the one upside was that the server suggested going to an ice cream place, and while we didn't go to the one she recommended, we did end up venturing to Pine Cone Creamery, which aside from being a super cute parlor, had fun, unique flavors. I ended up getting one of the tamer cones (can you believe I'm calling bourbon caramel pecan TAME?!), but I also sampled the Fruity Pebble ice cream. It tasted just like my childhood breakfast (or my college guilty pleasure)! This is the kind of place that makes me want to advocate small businesses 'til the day I die. The shop was being attended by two young women who really seemed like they loved their job, and they spoke so favorably about the owners that I hope I meet them one day. Seriously, this kind of place is what the American Dream is made for!

You can't do a day trip anywhere in Eastern Washington without visiting a winery, and we had the pleasure of visiting two, both of which were wonderful. Our first stop was Three Rivers where we sampled a flight of unique reds (I suggest the Streamlet) while looking out on the windswept landscape under a perfect blue sky. The attendant was friendly, knowledgeable about the wine and again, happy doing her job. As we ended our time at Three Rivers, she asked us if we were planning on going anywhere else, and we of course asked for recommendations. A true support and friend to her industry, she suggested Waterbrook right down the road. (Truly, if ever there was an industry that puts community over competition, it's the Washington wine industry) She told us that not only are their wines great, but they also had tasty food...which was great, because the afternoon slump was hitting us and we could definitely use a snack! Once again, we had a great experience at Waterbrook chatting and chomping on appetizers with wine slushies on the side! I also thought it was absolutely brilliant that they include "milk and juice flights" on their menu for the kids. What a great marketing tool!

It's pretty clear that the last few years of my life have invited me to fine tune my definition of home even more as I've bounced from place to place and wondered if my roots will ever be so deep as to remain in one place never to explore anywhere else. I think the answer to that question is no. While I may easily call the eastern Washington desert home, I don't think I can ever call a physical place the place where I flourish the most. More than visiting my favorite places or embarking on new adventures, I've enjoyed visiting my favorite people. I've been surrounded by families and friends who have welcomed me (back) into their homes and hearts. They've shared a lot of laughter and good food, but even more than that they've shared their vulnerabilities, places that I call sacred ground because they seem to see me as a safe space to bare their souls. Even still, there is no place on earth where I will feel I can be at permanently because my home is in heaven where I will be able to enjoy this kind of company under the gaze of my heavenly Father. Each day I spend on this earth is a day spent with my eyes upward towards heaven. I know that I have great friends and family in numerous places around this country and around the world who will open the door for me when they see me on the other side. My only hope is that it's not me but the Father who they see. The greatest gift I can ever give anyone is to point them to the one true place any of us can call a happy home.