As I encounter new people around the world, I am often asked: where are you from? Most people I have encountered correctly assume I am from the United States. In the locations I have visited, most people are familiar with Texas and many people are familiar with Dallas. So, I usually settle on Dallas as the answer to where I am from. Though I do not now nor have I ever actually lived in Dallas. I was born in a suburb of Dallas and I do currently reside in another suburb of Dallas. In the intermission between Dallas suburbs, I briefly lived in Georgia and Louisiana as a small child before returning to live in Texas at the age of four. In Texas, I began my school career as a student and remained in the same town throughout my elementary school years. I attended three middle schools as well as three high schools. To round out my education, I attended three colleges as well. Suddenly, where are you from becomes harder for me to answer. Attributed to Roman naval commander and philosopher, Pliny the Elder, during the first century AD, the phrase "home is where the heart is" provides another perspective to the question at hand. Perhaps where I am from is not as important as where home is. My elementary school years provided the foundation for who I am today. The impact of the relationships established and the lessons learned remain with me. In the formative years of adolescence, new relationships and new lessons led me to discover myself and my purpose in life. Opportunities to travel as a student and in adulthood have yielded life changing experiences and created eternal bonds with the people I have encountered. In adulthood, opportunities to serve students both through my church involvement as well as through my job have created life long bonds as students I have served carry a piece of my heart with them. If "home is where the heart is" then the answer to where are you from becomes evident. I am from towns all over the state of Texas and from New Orleans, Louisiana. I am from the mountains of Colorado and from Mobile, Alabama. I am from a small village in Northern Mexico and from Peru and Guatemala. I am from Central Asia and from the Dominican Republic. I am from many places for there a piece of my heart is also. And what a blessing it is to have so many homes.
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