Where did this idea come from?
Having a home is a thing I think we often take for granted and the comfort it brings us to have a place to call our own. I treasure my own spaces. While I was in college my parents decided to move to Georgia to follow my mother’s career. When they sold our old house I was sad, but it was also the start of a long and uprooted part of my post-college life. When I graduated I felt as though I had no home to go back to, but Minnesota itself was my home so that’s where I went.
I moved six times in those four years, not including the several times I moved between dorm rooms over the summers while still in college rather than moving to Georgia or back to Minnesota for a couple of months. It was a hard time for me for reasons beyond moving and I often found myself appreciating the places I saw regularly.
Visiting my sister was one of my favorite “getaways.” She lives in Wisconsin so it was like taking a little road trip and escaping for a few hours or weekends. One particular spot on the drive to her house, mile 34 of eastbound I-94 to be exact, was always my favorite part of the drive. The highway divided and forests obscured the view. You found yourself going downhill in a gentle curve until the valley opened up in front of you. I always had a feeling of relief and ease as I drove through that area. It reminded me of the feeling you get when you come home.
I thought to myself: “I need to make something to represent this feeling.” I got designing but nothing seemed to fit. Looking for inspiration, I pulled up some maps and searched for the exact spot. Geology and topography being other interests of mine, I switched to “terrain” mode and that’s when it happened. I realized I could take the contours and make them into layers (another favorite thing of mine). Once I worked out the logistics, I made the piece.
From there it was just like putting together a puzzle. Places I was attracted to began to stick out to me and remind me of other times in my life. Making the leap from that first piece to the collection I’ve built today only seemed natural.
It’s feelings like that one that I hope to share with you as you make your way through life. Sometimes stopping to appreciate the details can make all the difference in learning more about who we are and where we are. I know you have a happy place too, don’t let it sit in the back of your mind. Why not wear it every day?