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On October 27, 1999, I carried two heavy luggage cases and moved from Taipei to Torrance, California. I left my family, friends, and everything I was familiar with behind for an unknown new beginning. At that time, I didn't know I would call myself a Californian one day. Nor did I know I would start my own family here.

Ever since we moved to Fremont 7 months ago, I gradually found how much I miss Torrance, the school I taught at, and even the Pacific Ocean. There is nothing wrong with Fremont, especially with all the Chinese restaurants and stores a full time mommy can hope for. There is nothing wrong with the house we are renting either, other than the occasionally stucked garage door. However, every once in a while, I still complained that I want to go back to Torrance, almost as often as how I nagged about moving back to Taipei years ago.

I couldn't help but thinking: How do you call a place "home"?

When I was little, my parents moved us from one renting place to another due to a variety of reasons. I didn't feel much (or had any choices) at the time. Until I moved out of the little island, I start to envy people who always have a place to go back to in Taiwan. It could be just a tiny old apartment. The bedroom probably hasn't changed much since high school. But that's yours. That's where you grew up. That's where all the memories were.

In August 2007, my son was three months old. We bought our first house in Torrance. I remembered looking at it as the painters painting all the wall colors I picked. I thought, " This is where my home is going to be. The memories with my big guy and my little one will start here from now on. "

Who knows less than four years, we had to rent our house out and moved to Fremont for another new beginning. My baby daughter is too young to remember anything. But my big guy definitely misses his childhood friends and family. From our trip back to Torrance last month, I saw how hard it was for my 4 years old son to say goodbye to his friends and grandparents.

My big guy said, " Home is wherever you and the kids are now."

I feel the same way, too. But somehow, "home" means more to me than just being with my big guy and little ones. It's a place where I can plant my root in. It's a place where I can comfortably fit in and belong to. It's a place with people I love and people who love me. So, my home is in Taipei. It is in Torrance. And who knows?  Maybe it's even in Fremont.

One day, I hope with our love and guidance, my little ones will find their way home simple, direct, and without doubts, too.