My Sense of Place: Personal Journal Reflection

Finding a sense of belonging to a place can influence an individual’s sense of acceptance within the community and culture or opposingly can enhance their sense of isolation and alienation from society.This is reflected through Raimond Gaita’s memoir Romulus My Father and Manfred Jurgensen’s poem Bonegilla 1916 through extensive literary devices.We learn individuals perceptions of place and their ability to adjust to new places governs their ability to belong and feel at home with new cultures.

The mouldy, rotting, brown house stood in front of Emily, only fear keeping her feet planted to the ground. Moaning and creaking noises being projected from the house. The grass was damp from the evening fog and every time she took a step the mud squelched. The bottom step squeaked as she applied pressure with her foot, she let out a sigh of relief as the old structure hadn’t swallowed her up. The door, slightly off colour from the rest of the house, loomed over her like a giant as he reached for the brass door handle. A shiver ran through her body like an electric current, the musty smell of a house that had been long abandoned filled Emily’s nose. It was dim and uninviting. The furniture dusty and old, looking as if it would crumble to dust if she was to touch it. Mould ate away at

it feels to feel out of place. Not just in a group of people, but in this

Everyone appears to have a place where they are comfortable. On the other hand, I am a misfit, even though I have a group of people to socialize with. Although I have a group of people to spend time with, I am unsure of whether I am comfortable with them, whether I am fit to be one of them. The group’s conversations include topics about politics, books, and movies — none of which I am particularly educated about. I felt lonely even though I am not alone.

There are many assumptions and identities commonly assigned to each aspect of my social location, which I’ve been exposed to throughout my life. Some of which have contributed privileges, while others hard times. The way I think about the world, my behavior and reactions to things, body language, way of speaking, life choices and goals, everything can and has been shaped by my social

The feeling of belonging is not a necessity that everybody needs but is a common feeling that most people believe to be important in their lives if they want to be happy. People believe the feeling to belong helps them to be happy because if they feel like they belong somewhere they will feel safer and more confident when in that place. The place people feel like they belong in does not have to be a physical place like a house or a town/city but can also be a social place or in some ways an emotional place. An example of these would be a group of close friends or a person's home although a home is also a physical place it varies depending on the person because of the emotional feelings attached to that place are different so it could be considered an emotional place for someone to

"A sense of belonging can emerge from connections made with people, places, groups, communites, and the larger world." Throughout the selected texts this statement displays the constant social need for acceptance and belonging. But why is it that we feel the need to fit in? I as most of you lnow am an wxchange student and i know what its like to belomg amd/or not belonf. theough lersonal expievece ive leadned that despite what anyone thinks, belonging is imvenibly desired. everhome wants to belomg amd wvehome wills steive to fir in somewgere. but we as humans almost seem ro to tale for granted the favt that we have a olace to fit. before leaving america i mever thought about the favt that i had friences, i just always knew i had them. but as soom as i got to australia i realised how much i actually needed them. cmong to a new country was

Life is like a puzzle. Everyone wants to find their place and feel like they are “at home.” Sometimes that can be a bit challenging if someone is different. In “Where Are You From” , the author deals with going “back home” to South Korea and finding out that because she was in America for so long, she no longer fits in or has a place(Park 357). I can relate. My parents are not together and because I live with my mom, it was my duty to visit my father during Christmases and summers. I learned that even among family, it is possible to feel like the odd one out.

I left my radio in the back room in was most likely with the volunteer who was covering for me. He yelled at me to "get up" and told me lets talk in Joshs' office (which was a few steps away). Daniel storms in Joshs' office, turns on the light and sits down in the office chair in front of the desk with his arms crossed and a sticky note in his hand. I follow him and prop the door open with the door stop is I say "lets keep the door open it's hot in here." The real reason I did this was because I was extremely uncomfortable. He then yells, "Do you want to tell me where you have been?". I was standing in the door way, not completely in the room when I told him that I met with HR. He asked very angrily who I got permission to leave from and then stated that I left my post without permission.

The need to feel a sense of belonging is a powerful and universal one. This sense is formed from connections made with others. The result can be a range of emotions, from an increase in the feeling of security and self esteem, to feelings of unhappiness and loneliness. When someone does not fit in, often because they are different, the negative emotions that they feel can be very harmful.

Belonging involves the process of discovering, understanding and accepting individual self identities which has the potential to be enhanced through social connections. As these connections develop into relationships, a human need for social interaction is fulfilled and so a sense of confidence, recognition and acceptance emerges, contributing to the process of self-understanding and ultimately that of belonging. Conversely, relationships that lack connection result in negative outcomes for individuals which encompass isolation and disaffection, ultimately leading to a sense of not belonging. Instead, these individuals may attain their sense of belonging outside relationships, through their connections to other ideas such as place, or within

reader feel a sense of dread and despair because unlike the house the reader knows the owners

The struggle to belong and find one’s place is significant in the lives of some people.

     I didn’t have that many close friends in high school. I always was just kind of there. I was no one important. Everyone seems to have his or her place in this world of high school and it seemed that my place was on the outside that I

Words like cozy, calm, and memories can be used to describe my special place. A special place depends on the individual you are referring to. To me a special place allows the person to be happy and sad at the same place. This is where all realms of memories are made, allowing the individual to be able to reflect on them when entering that special atmosphere. In the warm summers I sit in our lawn with my dog as the cool wind blows, a feeling falls over me thinking about why I love my home and property so much and that I'm so very thankful to have it. I zone out for hours thinking about all the time that I have spent there with my family and friends. While I never regret any of the memories I have made, I cherish all of them and hold them close to my heart.