This past summer, Dawn and I did a movie marathon for a day the week she was here. We watched five movies- The Princess Bride, Lilo and Stitch, Peter Pan, Ender's Game, and Alice in Wonderland.

It seemed that nothing could be better than a quiet day in, immersed in all of these different worlds. I've always said that Peter Pan was one of my favorite, if not my favorite stories, and here's how I know-
I. When the movie started, when we got to see Neverland for the first time on screen, I almost cried.

II. I watched How to Train Your Dragon 2 when it came out later on that summer as well. We went out to dinner afterwards, and my heart was crippled by the sudden feeling of sadness and longing that I had felt six months before, before leaving for Spain. Wanderlust. It was then I really started thinking about the word. About the world. About traveling. About the idea of home, about all the tiny little nooks and crannies and enormous universes that each held a piece of my heart, calling to it.

III. We leave a piece of ourselves behind each place and each person we love and fall in love with, whether it's in the real world or not, whether it's a house or a street or even the corner of a room, whether it's a child we see in a shop or someone we've known for years, or even someone crossing a street.

IV. This past weekend, I had the enormous blessing to be at a Distant Worlds concert. Even Kingdom Hearts, for all the love and time I poured into the series, paled in comparison to the way I felt about Final Fantasy. It was my escape into the different worlds, into the different characters and stories. Finally having the opportunity to go to a concert since it launched, especially since it was a marathon concert, meant a lot. When the lights dimmed and the music started, there were tears in my eyes.

V. Watching Atlantis, I almost cried when the ship launched underwater in the beginning of their expedition for Atlantis. This movie was one I saw in theaters with my parents when I was little, and loved for so long. I even tried to learn Atlantian at one point!

VI. Up until this point, I never understood why I would become so emotional at these times. I always chalked it up to just me loving these movies, these games, these worlds that I had the honor of knowing and being a part of.

VII. I finally realized that it was these worlds calling to my heart.

VIII. I finally realized that it was my  heart calling to these worlds.

IX. God and all He has created will always have the best of my heart. My family, my friends. What exists in the real world will always have my heart.

X. But these different universes, these different worlds, all hold a part of my heart as well. My heart does not fully belong here.