I’m glad to be writing about sense of place in my hometown. While this prompt may be easy for some, I’ve been having a hard time gathering my thoughts about my sense of place at home. For most students, it is nice to go home and sleep in your room and be in the comfort of your own home, especially freshman year. This was not exactly the case for me. While it was nice to come back to the town I love and call home, I spent the week at my grandmother’s house with the rest of our family since my house is under construction. I shared the guest room with my sister, and didn’t get that warm homey feeling. This tells me that my sense of place regarding my town is still similar, though my sense of place at my house has definitely changed. My hometown is gorgeous, and I knew I was watched out for in our close community. I fear that the changes occurring since going to college, like my house, ownership of the market in town, and ownership of the local inn, will alter my perception of home even if I still love the place. This tells me that the built environment influences my sense of place in my town. It makes me wonder, if a place changes so much that it is hardly the same, would someone still have a sense of place?
It was nice to see my family, but it didn’t take long before I wanted to be back in Burlington with my friends. It made me anxious— if coming home didn’t feel like home, where is the place I call home? The sense of place I have in my hometown, in a way, makes me who I am. Thankfully my parents were very understanding of this. They recalled coming home from college and wanting to go back too. I, however, just didn’t really feel home in a sense.
When I visited my house to see the changes that had occurred since I had left, I didn’t realize what I was getting myself into. It was in full construction. The walls were stripped down to 2x4s. Parts of the ceiling were missing and awaiting a new roof. It was exciting to think about the finished product, but sad that what was so familiar was gone.
It took me coming home and experiencing the changes to realize that I am starting to develop a greater sense of place in Burlington and UVM. It is normal for life to go on and for things to change at home, but at this point in my life, I am where I feel I should be and I’m glad I’m here. I didn’t realize how much my sense of place here had developed in less than a semester, so I am excited to see how it develops over the rest of the year, and then the following three years too.
Weston, VT 
Weston, VT