Home is sneaking into the North County playground after hours with your dad.

Home is the pounding in your chest when you get a C on an assignment; it is worrying how others will think of you if you don’t have perfect grades.

Home is watching BeetleJuice with your mom.

Home is the excitement you and your family feel when the leaves finally change color and the crisp, cool wind starts blowing all around you.

Home is learning how to drown out the sound of your family fighting in the living room every family gathering.

Home is all the sleepovers with Abby and Jasmine; it’s the long talks, the drama, the laughter, and the candy scattered across the room while we quote lines from Fear Street.

Home is learning how to entertain yourself when your parents left you alone.

Home is having to move in with your dad and his new girlfriend and her kids every other year.

Home is pretending like nothing is bothering you and learning how to fake a smile.

Home is babysitting your step-siblings; it is playing Barbies with Gwen, teaching Rosie how to spell and playing Mario-Kart with Liam.

Home is trying to please everyone around you.

Home is the freedom, the stress, the experiences and the pressure you feel when you get to high school.

Home is learning who you are; is it learning how to accept yourself and ignore the echoing voices in your head.

Home is accepting every part of you, the good, the bad, and everything in between.