I’m Joy, and this is my blog. I am a 30-something wife, mom, friend, and neighbor. I have always loved to write, and I created this space to encourage me to do so, more often.

About the name, Hometown Found.

Although Lansing is my home, now, I actually grew up without a hometown. My parents did mission work and I lived in Bangladesh and Malaysia as a child. I attended homeschool in the jungle and a boarding school on the South China Sea. It was an amazing way to grow up, but I missed having roots somewhere, a place to name when people asked the simplest question of “where are you from?”.

Here in this smallish city in mid-Michigan, I’ve found incredible friends, beautiful spots to enjoy nature, and my favorite Mexican food truck. I’ve met refugees starting their lives over in safety, a local band with a vaudeville flare, and people working to make a difference through local government.

After living and traveling all over the world, this is not where I thought I’d end up. But Lansing is now my hometown — I’ve finally found it!

So, I’ve started this blog to challenge myself, to:

1. be a more engaged citizen in my hometown;
2. connect with my neighbors;
3. share what I’ve learned about motherhood so far; and
4. learn from others who take part in this creative space about any of the items above, or about anything else.

So, I’ll be writing this blog to share the things I find in Lansing and the things I learn while I’m here. I’d love for you to join me.