Where are you from? During our college careers, we are asked this question numerous times. Our immediate response might be the name of the most recent region we lived in. It’s simple and direct; it provides enough context to satisfy the question without revealing too much, too soon. But ultimately, our state or country of residence is only the socially expected answer, not the whole story. 

Home is the smell of your favorite childhood meal; the sound of your family laughing around the dinner table; and the feeling of belonging. For some, home is a weighty concept that’s been warped by brokenness and generational suffering. The whole story is too complicated to express in a single, shallow social exchange.

Recognizing this, the PUB invited Wheaton students to explore Patria, “homeland” in Latin, hoping that they would share the unique influences that contributed to their identities. Readers will experience contributors’ creative reflections on their homelands, and are encouraged to consider the same.

Happy reading, Wheaton!

Editor-in-chief,

Abby Steensland