Due to a death in the family I will fly to Finland next week. While arranging flights and hotels I come up with a dilemma of "home". Will I visit Finland and return home next week? Or will I go home and return to Chicago next week? Is home here or there or somewhere in between? Do I even have a home anymore? If somebody asks where am I from, what do I say?
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I left Finland in my late twenties; without a clear plan, but knowing that I will never return. I loved my home town Turku, but wanted to see how my life would be somewhere else. So I kicked my boring boyfriend out the door, cut my long dark hair short and bleached it blond. I sold most of my belongings and gave away the rest. I bought a ticket to Hong Kong and could not get there fast enough.
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By now I've lived on three continents and in more cities than I can count; in Chicago for eight years. During my first months in here I came up with a survival plan "You need to conquer the city or it will conquer you". It is a big and scary city, the sooner I get to know it, the sooner I can call it mine. So I explored, learnt and got to know this city. I also fell in love with it and now call it home.
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There are many similarities between my two home towns, Turku and Chicago. They both have a river running through them, named after the city, (or is the city named after the river?). Both cities suffered a devastating fire, Turku in 1827 and Chicago in 1871. Both cities are looking to host a major event, Turku in 2011 as the Capital of Culture in Europe and Chicago 2016 as a host of Olympic Games. Is that funny or what?
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So, this time next week I'll be walking down very familiar streets on the other side of the world and visit my favorite spot, the thousand year old Turku Cathedral. There is only one question in my mind. Will I and can I be homesick?