3 miles and a lifetime away

This is the house I lived in from birth until I was 10 years old. I came home from summer camp and we had moved 3 miles and 3 towns North. It is no longer my home, but I still feel more at home there than I ever have in Winnetka.

Moving to Winnetka was first time I felt like I didn't fit in -- a feeling that took over as I had trouble making friends, didn't get into plays or picked for teams, and was reminded by my classmates just how different the worlds of Evanston and Winnetka are from each other. I still have no idea whether Winnetka is a causation or a correlation for me. Did it just occur to me at that time that I didn't really fit in, and so I played the part of loner? Or, having moved from a place of different perspective, did I actually not fit in?

Either way, to some extent, I have continued to fulfill the role of observant outcast to this day. I have wonderful friends who I love, but I spend much of my time connecting dots from the sidelines.