The idea of home has never been a stable, physical place for me. When I was born, a war decided by leaders on the other side of the globe shaped every aspect of my family's life. In our northeastern Lao villages and towns, the sound of conflict was constant, and so was the feeling of impermanence. My earliest memories are of being ready to move at any moment, never fully settling, always waiting for the next sign that it was time to leave. In 1979, my elders made a decision that would change everything: we fled to Thailand.