"Home" - Carina Ferreira

I’m a Portuguese citizen, born and bred in Lisbon who has never lived in another country.
When I was born my parents bought a house in Olivais Sul (Lisbon), where we lived for 15 years. It was a small flat with only two bedrooms. I used to share my bedroom only with my sister, and my brother (because he was only a baby) used to sleep with my parents. I never felt really at home there and I think it’s because we couldn’t go out to play with other kids because Olivais is a bad area to live in.
Today I live in Santa Iria de Azoia with my parents, my grandparents, my brother, my sister and with my three dogs. This house is older than me and it was built by my grandfather. Even when I was living in Olivais we used to go all the weekends to Santa Iria and I always think of it as “home”. My present house is not a block of cement where only my family can get in, it’s more like an open space where we let our front door open without being scared. Here everybody knows me and everybody helps eachother. I can go outside and play with my brother because it’s a safe area, and it’s rare to see strangers near the house. I can’t remember one time where I felt sad in Santa Iria during my childhood. I can say that even the sun is different here because it feels warmer when touches my skin.
When I need a time for myself and for my thoughts, I seat in a chair that I have in my huge balcony. From this balcony at night I can see the lights of Lisbon which has a beautiful view and during the day I can hear the birds and feel the wind and the sun in my skin. This balcony is my home, is where I feel safe and protected from any danger, is where I get lost with my thoughts and it seems that this balcony has a calming influence on me. People say that home is where the heart and my heart is at home, specifically from my balcony.