Home: My Home Is A Safe Place

Home, the safe place for everyone to go back to. There is nothing like the feeling of going home to see family, old friends, and the familiar smell of my house. The place I call home seems to be in a bubble of protection, because nothing can beat the comfort I feel there. Growing up in Belleville, Illinois, I come from a town that is not necessarily that small, but full of warm familiar faces that greet me everywhere I go. The warm welcomes, competitive sports teams, and tight knit neighborhoods are just a few of the reasons I am proud to call Belleville my home.

When growing up in a town like Belleville, people seem to make a tremendous social web. Everyone in Belleville is friendly and willing to talk to me at any time. Pumping gas or

In the cities people mainly live in lofts and apartments. In Belleville, I am able to live in a tight knit community and live side by side with amazing friends. There is a lot more privacy this way, but also gives it a family feel. This is the ideal place to raise children to me, in a place with neighbors who they could become friends with. It is a place that I trust and love, and know my future children would be safe here. As a kid, playing in the streets around the neighborhood was a normal day with my friends. The kind neighbors knew us kids all by name, and honked when they drove past. I feel that if I was raised in a city in a loft or apartment I would not have had that same childhood memories that I now cherish. The cultures of a big city such as St. Louis, versus a suburb like Belleville are just different. City people seem more rushed, and work focused. Whereas growing up here, it is always relaxed and family oriented. I also had the best of both worlds, I grew up in a warm loving environment, but the city was just minutes away. In the city I have seen countless Cardinal and Blues games, as well as being able to experience concerts I would have never imagined. So while I am thankful I do not call that home, I am also thankful my real home was so close to the amazing opportunities the cities do offer. I really enjoy looking back at my hometown as I am getting older, because I am able to see they ways I grew up, and cherish them