There's no place like home.

After reading an excerpt from Pico Iyer's book, The Global Soul, it became apparent that a sense of home seems to be innately bound to our sense of self. As our world is becoming increasingly global (although not universally global, as financial and technical boundaries are still dividing the have's and the have-not's) this sense of home is also becoming global; what used to be tied to place and location is becoming much more closely related to less tangible elements such as emotional quality and memory.

This feeling was reinforced throughout class discussion; many of us have lived in numerous places that we still call home, which becomes confusing given our traditional language. When traveling from St. Paul to Milwaukee, I often use the phrase, "I'm going home this weekend," yet when I am in Wisconsin, I make references to "going home to St. Paul." Understanding one home as the place of birth and the other as the place of residence is the technical aspect of this language issue; however, the reality is much more psychological and hints at a deeper attachment to place, based on meaning and experience. For this reason, I think the old adage holds truer than ever – home is where you hang your heart.

Another issue that was raised was the feasibility of the concept of a global soul – one who knows no traditional home and always feels an incomplete relationship between their sense of self and the places they come from. The Indian who was raised in Britain but lives in American can never fully identify with others around him, either in appearance, culture, or speech. On one hand, this may result in extreme disillusionment or, more positively, it could effect a deeper understanding of self and an increased awareness of others. Although we each discussed similarities between ourselves and what Iyer defines as the 'global soul,' none of us claimed to be as extreme as he; however, it can be said that some of us, myself included, at least aspire to (if not claim to be) globally aware. So, while we may not have ever experienced the same feelings as a global soul, we attempt to relate to those in similar situations, one's whose sense of self is constantly in battle with their surroundings. 

Ideally, this global sensitivity would extend to my design sensibilities and increase my abilities to design for special populations, including those of immigrant or refugee populations (ones whose sense of home is constantly in flux). This will be important to keep in mind as I develop ideas for and research regarding the Tibetan refugee community in Minneapolis (and greater Minnesota). In fact, looking towards design solutions for mediating their dual understanding of home may be an interesting route to explore.