Issue link: https://digital.nexsitepublishing.com/i/1523082
BY JERRY HALL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MBAKS JHALL@MBAKS.COM Our association exists to make home happen, and we believe everybody deserves their own. We recognize how critical and special it is to have our own little slice of the universe, a place of respite and comfort. It's the setting where we raise our families and form memories. Ironically, one of the best ways to deepen our appreciation for home is to get away from home, to get out and experience other places through travel. (It just so happens that I'm writing this while on a little reunion vacation with some friends from school.) We usually think of travel as a way to relax and have fun. But when we pause to look around, observe, and contemplate our surroundings—the people, food, and activities— we don't just increase our knowledge of other cultures. We also see how other people live in a way that's uniquely their own, how they enjoy their hometown and, sometimes, their actual home. When we travel down I-5 to Chehalis, fly to Croatia, or hop on a camel to the outskirts of Marrakech, we have an opportunity to learn from others, to see how they live and work. And if we stop to look a few stories up or a few blocks outside the main drags, we see where they live. It's then that we recognize that it doesn't matter how big or opulent a home is, or what kinds of materials the builders used. It doesn't matter if it has a thatch roof or solar panels. What matters is that people have a place they call home. It's a place where they, too, have times of joy and sorrow. It's a place that is their sanctuary. And it's when we appreciate the value of their homes that we also remember how important our home is to us. We miss our home and think about what makes it so special. Eventually, we're ready to go home because it's where we truly belong. MBKAS exists so everyone can experience that sense of belonging and peace. So, take that trip. Appreciate how unique home is anywhere you go. When you return, I'd like to thank you for being a part of MBAKS and our mission. There really is no place like home. What matters is that people have a place they call home. FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR There's No Place Like Home CORE V LUES BALANCE | DUTY | DETERMINATION 7 SUMMER 2024 | master BUILDER IN EVERY ISSUE