Like many of you, I relocated to the Carolinas. I moved here 20 years ago and now, this is the place I call home. For many years, it was my “new” home, but as time passed the word “new” faded into the background. This year, I will travel up to Pennsylvania, the place where I was born, for the holidays. My family tries to get “home” every second or third Christmas.

There are many, many definitions and catch phrases for “home.” “Home is where the heart is” or “There’s no place like home” are two that almost immediately come to mind. For me, home is all about family and even though Charlotte is my home, whenever I travel back to Pennsylvania, I still tell people I am going “home” for the holidays. I say that because that home is where I grew up. For that reason, I will always call it “home.”

It struck me that when I travel “home” for the holidays; I see it as a vacation, as I’m sure my family does whenever they come down to Charlotte. When family visits, we drop everything and entertain them from the time they touch down until they leave because they are ‘vacationing” with us, so to speak.

When we venture home for the holidays or anytime for that matter, the family there keeps on keeping on. They try to work us in and make us feel “at home,” but in general, they are at their “home” and stick to their schedules and rituals. This is especially true if it is not a holiday and they have work and school.

So it’s easy to say “Why should I stop my world and take my time to visit, when they don’t stop theirs?” I’ve talked to friends and they share this feeling.

But let’s think about this a bit differently. Home is not always a place, but a feeling. It’s about times and memories shared with family. It’s not about who is hosting or who the guest, but rather, is about the opportunity to be together during this time of year.

As you travel far or near this holiday season, or host family from elsewhere, as you tolerate the strange routines, the fact there’s no caffeinated coffee, or just general disruption of your life, savor the memories that can only be made when family is together.

What is your definition of home?

By Pat Riley (President, COO)