May 24, 20202 min read

Home is a Feeling

Updated: May 31, 2020

I've often heard people say "home is a feeling, not a place". For years, I disagreed with it because I believed home was a place that is familiar, a place where you are constantly surrounded by your loved ones. However, since the beginning of this year, I've come to realize that indeed, home is a feeling.

Despite having grown up all over the world, I still consider Senegal and New York to be my two homes, respectively. However, what I feel when I am in Senegal is very much different to what I feel when I'm back in New York.

I wanted to take this photoshoot as an opportunity to show you a small part of where I grew up, which is my childhood home in Senegal. I left Dakar at the age of 7; quite a young age but I remember everything, from the early years, to the move to the United States.

Like any other child, I spent most of my time going to school, having playdates with my friends, celebrating birthdays, and running around my home, particularly in the garden. Our garden is beautiful, spacious, and colorful - which was (and still is), a dream for a vibrant, curious and energetic young Penda.

What makes the garden even more perfect is the presence of abundant palm trees and flowers, it's like a little paradise in the middle of Dakar.

As a child, I didn't pay much attention to the greenery, I was more interested in the fact that I had lots of space to run around.

However, now, as an adult, I find that my focus has shifted. That same presence of flowers, trees, and different colors is what now catches my attention, and really makes me feelat home. The garden was once where I would roam freely and now, it's the place I go to for peace and quiet, the place where I can just feel still.

Whenever I'm back in this space, I like to sit and journal, or just reflect on some things.

What I feel when I sit on these benches is hard to explain - everything feels right when I am here, it feels safe. And that's exactly how I know that Dakar is home because it provides me with peace, stillness, and security - elements that we all strive for in our homes.