A place that is home can mean so many different things for different people. It all depends on your perspective. Some people consider home to be the place that they came from, or grew up. Some people consider home to be the place that they make their own. My friend Erin says there is a reason why there are so many clichés out there about the home place – like ‘There’s no place like home,’ or ‘Home is where the heart is.’

To me, my home is where I feel my most comfortable, which is actually at my house – most of the time. The place where I can truly relax and be myself, and not feel the pressure to do what everyone else wants me to do. It’s also the place where I write and design, and get myself delving into my creative mind without restrictions.

There are other things that make my home the place for me. My treasures that I have collected over the years. Lots of people like sparse space without junk or whatever, because they hate cleaning it. I love my treasures. These come in varying forms of artwork, books, weird and random pieces, furniture, and so on. I just love them, and get very irritated when my loved ones tell me to clear some crap out. I’m not a hoarder, but I like the comforts that these things give me. I like my ‘stuff’ to surround me. I like sparse spaces too, but that’s not a place I can truly relax in. Things surrounding me that I value as part of my life stimulate my mind, as well as relax it.

And then there is my family, and my home is where they live. Need I say more? Some days I think that I could really do with some quiet time – my introvert rears its head, and I know that I just need to focus on myself. But most of the time, my home is a happy and warm place where my family and I can all enjoy the space and relax in it.

So for me, home is where I make it. I have moved around a lot – living in a number of different cities. But I always love going back to my own space, and being surrounded by things and people that I love.