What makes it home?

We've moved a lot in our life- not as much as my military friends, but enough. Philadelphia, New Haven, Charlottesville and now Savannah. We've always moved after a few years because of training, but here and now, we've been here FOUR whole years. It's subtle, the feeling of being HOME in an area. In some aspects it happens quickly- my Down syndrome support group made me feel at home 2 months after we arrived, but I still don't know everyone in my own neighborhood. Savannah has a different culture than anywhere else I've experienced in terms of primary schooling. Where up north, even in Virginia, most went to public schools, here private school is the norm. Because of this the kids have their school friends and then their neighborhood friends. In my very small little development I can think of at least 5 different schools the various kids go to. I think this contributes a LOT to isolation and lack of community. There's no walking to school with your friends, commiserating about how much homework Mrs. So and so gave you and the like. Even the school calendars are different- some kids go back 2 whole weeks before mine do.

Anyway, I did have a thought at the beginning of this- the educational system in Savannah is for a whole other post.

Today I walked/ran the trail outside the YMCA for my workout. 5 miles. And in that time I saw 5 or 6 different friends from non-gym aspects of my life here. People who waved to ME, they knew me. That's how I know this is home. Well that and the bills that keep filling my mailbox.