Home is Where the Heart is

I spent the weekend in New York City this past weekend, visiting my college roommate and his girlfriend and seeing a few other friends while I was there. The weather was amazing, and I finally realized how big central park really is. While in the park, we spent almost half an hour watching a bunch of people in a little skating rink dancing to some sweet tunes. Some wore roller skates, some rollerblades, and one guy was tearing things up in heelies (sp?), you know, the shoes with wheels in the heels. It was my first weekend away from home in a while. 

A couple of weeks ago, I was thinking about that scene in "Garden State" where Zach Braff and Natalie Portman  are in the shallow end of the pool and talking about notions of home. Braff tells Portman that he no longer feels at home in his home and he wonders at what point did this sensation materialize. When I was thinking about this scene a couple of weeks ago, I was thinking that home felt different to me as well. It's not that I didn't feel welcome in my home because I do, but I felt a sense that I didn't belong. Maybe it's just my independent side trying to peek through, but I definitely was feeling like there was something else to be desired. However, upon coming home from a fun weekend away, I was really missing home and glad to be home. 

It's tough to say when and why this sensation of not feeling at home happens. In college, although I was away from home for the majority of the year, I always felt at home when I came back. I think there is something about expectations of graduates to move away from their homes. In American culture, that appears to be the normal trend. It's a little different for me though. In Asian cultures, it's typical for people to live with their families well into their mid or late 20s. Often times, they only move away from their families when they marry into another. For me, being exposed to both cultures for the past 23 years, I'm often caught in the middle and often confused. However, regardless of where I am, I'm glad to have multiple places where I can feel at home. It's not just in my actual home but also when I'm with friends and other loved ones, hence "where the heart is."

Also, I was reminded of this phrase because I was playing a movie game in which "Where the Heart is" was mentioned. I think we decided that that was the one in which Natalie Portman has a baby in a Wal Mart. I usually don't feel at home in that place though.