CRUMPLE THIS!

I slip in the Coldplay CD in the player as my friend straps the seatbelt on and sighs
"What a weekend!..Back to the grind now..Time to go home!"

This instantly sparks questions in my mind, as the clouds gather in the afternoon skies : Where is home?

Ofcourse, the first place that comes to mind is the place that you were born..where you spent most of your formative years. The place where you learnt your ABCs. The place that has had a major influence in what you are today. Somewhere you get smiles and waves every street you go to. Made those eternal friendships that develop over a number of years. Where everything has a memory attached to it. That place you have roamed every corner of, alone or with friends. Where now your family waits anxiously to hear you voice over the phone, everyday. Somewhere you are showered with love and know you will be taken care of.

But then somewhere along this journey there are other places that shape your life up.
How about the place that took you away from it all? But at the same time, it actually set you onto the path you had wanted to be on. Where you learnt what it is to be independent and to struggle. Where you experienced living with friends, sharing a common thread of being away from your land. Somewhere that brought you close to someone in the family, a person you had hardly met before. The place that taught you to laugh even when you were broke or ill. Where complete strangers became close friends in a matter of months. A place that brings a smile on your face everytime you see the skyline reveal itself as you drive the highway curve.

Then there is a place which gives you that sense of achievement. Where you call people to, so they can visit you. Where your independence has taken a new meaning because you don't depend on anyone for monetary reasons. The place that defined the point where your family stopped taking care of you, and you started taking care of them. Where your newest friendships are, promising to be friends for a long time to come. You have responsibilities now. Where complete strangers helped you out when you were new, and made you feel you knew them all along. The place you go back to after every holiday.

Where is it?

"Home, home where I wanted to go" sings Chris Martin as the piano fades away..