They say home is where the heart is.
I know this is true for me. I am happiest at home. And, yes. I’ve said it before, but there is a true sense of comfort in knowing that you are home.
There is pretty strong evidence that the environment in which we live is closely linked to our well-being. When our homes are safe and nice, and clean, our chances of mental wellness are better. Scientists say that our connection to home, our “human-animal attachment to territory,” is built into our DNA.
We humans have need to be familiar with our physical surroundings. So home becomes our home. A study done at the University of Kentucky says that our “home provides security, control, belonging, identity, and privacy, among other things. But most of all, it’s a place that provides us with a centering—a place from which we leave each morning and to which we return each evening.”
Most of the time, we get to choose where we live. At least to some degree.
Well, in case you have any thoughts of moving, the U.S. News & World Report released its annual list of the 150 “Best Places to Live in the U.S.” recently.
Here’s how editors said the magazine determined its picks: Analyzing the 150 most populous metropolitan areas and evaluating several factors, including job prospects, affordability, growth and quality of life.
The top 25 ranked from the best
1.Green Bay, Wisc.
2.Huntsville, Ala.
3.Raleigh Durham, N.C.
4.Boulder, Colo.
5.Sarasota, Fla.
6.Naples, Fla.
7.Portland, Maine
8.Charlotte, N.C.
9.Colorado Springs, Colo.
10.Fayetteville, Ark.
11.Madison, Wisc.
12.Boise, Idaho
13.San Jose, Cali.
14.Ann Arbor, Mich.
15.Melbourne, Fla.
16.Jacksonville, Fla
17.Albany, N.Y.
18.Myrtle Beach, S.C.
19.Des Moines, Iowa
20.Grand Rapids, Mich.
21.Knoxville, Tenn.
22.Syracuse, N.Y.
23.Fort Collins, Colo.
24.Tampa, Fla.
25.Hickory, N.C.
I’m not sure which city on this list would be the right fit for me. Politics aside, I suppose Colorado, North Carolina, or Tennessee might sound about right.
But no matter the city. Home should feel like home. And we all know that sense.
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The home should be the treasure chest of living.
— Le Corbusier
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Home is where the heart is.
— Pliny the Elder
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There’s no place like home.
— Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz
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Home is where the home is. Besties.
