There’s No Place Like Home
View from my rooftop patio in the 100 South Broad neighborhood in Chattanooga.
Almost two years have passed since I moved from the Arizona desert to Chattanooga, a mid-sized city in east Tennessee, surrounded by beautiful green mountains, the meandering Tennessee River, and the Peach State of Georgia. The Scenic City seemed a logical place to make my next home as I had just taken early retirement from corporate America and hoped to be closer to family in north Alabama and long-term friends in Atlanta and Nashville. Chattanooga is close to all three.
So far, it’s turned out to be a great choice. But then again, I’ve enjoyed something about every place I lived – all 26 locations in six states and two countries. (Honest, I counted.) I guess it’s fair to say that “home” is a bit of a tricky concept for me. You can learn more about why that is by listening to the introductory episode of my new podcast, Home Where You Belong.
So, what’s the podcast all about? Well, we all want to feel like we belong, but sometimes it can seem like a challenge to find that connection in our living spaces, neighborhoods, communities, and relationships. On Home Where You Belong, you’ll hear stories from people of different backgrounds and from different places, and how they've been able to feel more at home wherever they are. The hope is listeners will come away with a renewed sense of connection, belonging, and optimism.
Personally, I’m ready to determine whether Dorothy was right when she clicked the heels of her ruby slippers together in the Merry Old Land of Oz and proclaimed, There’s No Place Like Home. Hopefully, I won’t end up on a dusty farm in grayscale Kansas surrounded by an Auntie Em who always seemed a bit dour to me. Oh well, wherever I am, I’m ready to feel more at home in my own place, my own skin, and my own community. I hope you’ll join me on the journey.
You’ve heard from me; I’d love to hear from you! Send me an email at chip@homewhereyoubelong.com with your story ideas, questions, and comments.
More to come!
Chip