Guest Blogging Series: Home by Jess of Jessthetics

When I sat down to think of a name for Of North, I made a list of things that I wanted my blog to be like. High on that list were words like Minnesota, northwoods, comfy, birch trees, home... For me, home is a collection of feelings, things, places, people. I try to reflect that in my blog, making it feel like home. And so, when I decided to put together a guest blogging series, I wanted it to be about home -  not my home, but rather the homes of others. And so, welcome to Of North's first guest blogging series! The series is being kicked off by the fab & spunky Jess of Jessthetics telling us about what home is to her.



I was delighted when Chloe asked me to write about the things that represent home to me. I graduated from University this summer, and this year I've moved three times! Like many people my age I don't currently have a steady job, and so I've been moving around doing temporary things. It's hard to make a place feel like your own when you're only going to be there for a few months! Although York (the beautiful city where I did my degree) will always feel like my city, my parents’ house will always be home. It's the place I always come back to, it's where I grew up, and it's where I find myself again now.



It seems fitting to speak about my family first. This photo was taken of us hiking in the mountains in Cyprus - I love family holidays and we still go away together every year! It's my family, really, that makes this place home. Although we all have different personalities and interests we're very close, and they're three of my best friends. I'm incredibly lucky to have had such a loving upbringing, and a brother to share it with. It's because of them that I feel so safe and relaxed at home, and home will follow them wherever they go!



The house I live in also reminds me of home. Asides from moving to University, I've lived here since I was one, and my brother was born here. It's amazing how a single building can hold so many memories and feelings. All my good childhood memories take place here. I remember playing in the paddling pool during the summer holidays until my fingers and toes were numb, with my mum reading in the hammock. I remember doing my homework in the living room and eating Sunday lunch at the same table every week. I remember watching my dad play tomb raider and plastering my room (including my ceiling!) with posters of my favourite bands. At the same time, it was here that I moped about when I dreaded going to school and it is in this house that I remember filling up with teenage angst. This house holds everything, the good and the bad, and that's why it reminds me of home!



This is a photo of the River Soar. It runs through Leicestershire connecting the villages and it's my favourite part of my village. It's the first place I take visitors, and it's the best place to take a picnic on a sunny day! I've been on this river in a peddalo, a rowing boat, a kayak and a canal boat. I've taken many photos along this river, drank alongside it, and walked alongside the riverbank to get to nearby villages. I think it reminds me of home not only because I attach a lot of memories to it, but because it's stereotypical of the countryside I grew up in. I love being in cities because of the people, the range of things to do, and the fact that people don't stare at you when you dress a little differently. However, there's something about being in a city that makes me feel on edge. Living amongst countryside makes me feel freer, safer and more relaxed. It's because of that feeling that the river reminds me of home.



This is my bunny rabbit Archie. Before Archie, we had a bunny named Henry who hopped around the garden, and before Henry there was Louis. I can't imagine a home that doesn't have a resident rabbit. They have so much personality, they're adorable, and there's nothing like a bunny lick to soothe the soul! Archie is very special to me, and he's one of the things I miss most when I'm away from home.



Thanks again to Jess for sharing this piece of herself on Of North. Make sure you drop by Jessthetics where she shares a number of really crafty DIY projects, as well as her travel diaries, personal style posts, and clean eating recipes.