Home

One of the songs we played in Pops this past semester was The Patriot (music from the movie). Our assistant conductor Jaclyn told us to think of home when we played that piece, like soldiers thinking of home as they leave the battlefield.

I was born in China and moved to the US when I was 5. I've been living in Troy since 2nd grade, and of course, I attend the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor during the school year. I wanted to live in Ann Arbor this summer. Most people I'm friendly/closer with are living there over the summer. But I'm in Troy because my office is 15 minutes away.

The dynamics with my parents are a little different now. I'm 20 going on 21. I've grown a lot independently, but I still have much to learn from them, from older friends, and from the world. I'm not fully ready to function in the world on my own, but at the same time, I know I'd be ready if I were ever put in that situation. I have good grad school prospects in a couple years, good job prospects, but I'm not taking anything for granted.

Where will my future home be? I know it's too early to be thinking about that, because I'll go wherever I feel called. I have a heart for Detroit, to do great things with whichever company I work for, to find my niche and build up the community. Nobody wants to be in Troy anymore, but it's a great city, a great place to fall back on. And Ann Arbor has been cold and unwelcoming at times, but warm and welcoming even more often.

We'll see. Until it's time to figure it out, I'll keep enjoying the home cooking and everything else that comes with wherever I am.

Shalom.