"We were on a break!"

That quote if you don't know is from Friends when Ross is trying to explain himself to his friends. And no before you get ahead of yourself, this is not about a relationship, well at least not that kind of relationship. This is about my relationship with the word "home" and getting the break that I really needed.

At Valpo, in the middle of the semester, we have a four day Fall Break which I anxiously anticipated for several reasons. One I needed it; The past few weeks have been more than hard. Trying to make big, life changing decisions while still maintaining my grades, my friends and getting to my jobs on time was something I thought I could handle as this is my third crack at it, but I definitely didn't thrive. Two, with all the crazy that is happening back in Antioch and me never really being there I have been struggling with the word "home."

When I think of the word, the first thing that comes to mind is Camp. It's the home of my biggest triumphs of faith, my deepest connections to God, and where some of my strongest friendships were founded. The next place I think of is Valpo, where I spend most of my time. The third place I think of is Antioch, IL. When I thought about it, I kept questioning why where I grew up came third. I searched and searched for an answer, I wanted to know where I belonged but I couldn't find my answer.

Belonging, is such an interesting concept when you think about it. The different communities we all belong to. Sweetwine, Camp, Chapel Staff, Communications major, Wisconsin lover, all these different communities make up the outer circles of my family. Family this year has been redefined and it's for the better. Family isn't just those you share blood with, but those who were able to touch your life and make some type of impact on it. Family is those who see you for who you are and who you want to be and help you get there. Family is driving 8 hours in one day and still smiling and laughing at the end of the day. Family is family.

And I wouldn't trade my for the world.

God calls us to belong; to belong to communities so that we can be lights of his light. But most importantly he calls us to be his chosen children. No matter how small or large your family is here at home, you have a big family waiting for you in heaven. We are sons and daughters of the King of creation and you can take courage in knowing that.

At Camp I felt at peace and like I could finally breathe. The beauty of fall in full swing, plus a handful of friends made me understand how important it is to breathe in whats good for you, exhaling the bad and repeating. Try it sometime:)