Affirmations for Black Girls

Host: Tyra The Creative
Episode 445: Living Far Away From Home: Redefining What “Home” Means When You’ve Outgrown It | Feeling Disconnected This Holiday Season
Release Date: December 8, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode explores the emotional journey of living far from home, especially during the holiday season. Host Tyra Morrison (AKA Tyra The Creative) reflects on what "home" means after moving away and how it evolves over time. She opens up about nostalgia, guilt, and growth, and offers practical ways to cultivate a feeling of home, even when physically distant from family and familiar traditions. Listeners are encouraged to honor both their roots and their personal evolution, especially if they're feeling disconnected during the holidays.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Outgrowing Home Without Losing It

• Tyra describes her feelings of excitement and fear as she left St. Francisville, Louisiana for college ([03:17]–[04:56]).
• She describes breaking down emotionally before leaving, fearing both failure and being forgotten.
• Tyra highlights a key realization:

  “You can love where you’re from, even outgrow it, and still carry it with you. Home doesn’t have to stay in one place. It lives in your memories, your roots, your traditions, and in your heart wherever you go.” ([05:04]–[05:30])

2. Redefining Home in New Spaces

• The holiday season brings up nostalgia and longing for home, but responsibilities and life changes alter how Tyra experiences it now as an adult living in Los Angeles.
• She explores the tension between who you were "at home" and who you are becoming "away from home."
• Notable insight:

  “Now, there’s this interesting shift that happens when you move away. You start to realize that home is no longer just the place you grew up. It’s also the little things that bring you peace, the moments you intentionally create, and the spaces where you can breathe deeply and fully be yourself.” ([06:26]–[07:10])

3. Affirmation of the Week

• Tyra leads listeners through repeating the affirmation:

  “It is safe for me to outgrow what once felt familiar.”
  ([07:21]–[08:58])

• She reflects on how repeating this lifts a weight from her shoulders and reframes the idea of outgrowing a place as making space for new versions of herself ([09:14]–[09:54]).

4. Creating Home Away from Home

Tyra shares practical, heartfelt ways she maintains her connection to home:

• Cooking Family Recipes: Making her great-grandma’s pies and Louisiana dishes to feel comforted ([13:07]–[14:59]).
• Decorating with Keepsakes: Filling her LA apartment with Louisiana-themed decorations and gifts ([14:59]–[15:39]).
• Music: Curating playlists with songs from home (e.g., Choppa, Jackie Neal) to evoke specific memories ([15:39]–[16:57]).
• Printing and Displaying Photos: Growing her gallery wall with family snapshots and creating physical reminders of her roots ([16:57]–[17:19]).
• Staying Connected Virtually: Frequent FaceTimes with her family, especially grandparents, to nurture bonds at a distance ([17:19]–[18:05]).
• Continuing Holiday Traditions: Playing the Babyface Christmas album while decorating her tree, carrying over rituals from her youth ([18:06]–[20:07]).

5. Guilt, Growth, and Independence

• Tyra discusses feeling guilty for not being present or "plugged in" to family and old traditions as often, but reframes this as natural growth ([25:24]–[27:19]).
• She notes the importance of:
  • Self-Reliance: Learning to cook alone, handle challenges, and be resourceful ([30:05]–[30:50]).
  • Expanding Circles: Building new communities and friendships away from home ([30:50]–[31:13]).
  • Practicing Gratitude and Creating Rituals: Being intentional in identifying and appreciating blessings, turning new spaces into sanctuaries ([31:13]–[32:04]).
  • Strengthening Communication: Increased, intentional communication like video calls and care packages ([32:04]–[32:34]).
  • Embracing and Defining Personal Identity: Seeing herself clearly outside of the expectations from her hometown ([32:37]–[33:10]).

6. Navigating Painful Distance & Loss

• Tyra recounts feeling disconnected after her move, particularly after losing a cousin unexpectedly in 2018, which taught her the value of presence and intentional connection ([36:44]–[39:10]).

  “It just put stuff into perspective for me... life will keep moving and we don’t always get a second chance… to show up not just when it’s convenient but when it matters most, and to do it fully and presently.” ([38:30]–[39:10])

• She advises listeners that outgrowing home is not abandonment, but about choosing what nourishes and letting go of what doesn’t support growth ([39:13]–[40:55]).

7. Questions for Self-Reflection

Tyra encourages listeners to ask themselves:

• What parts of home still feel true to me?
• What do I keep out of guilt or expectation?
• What new “home energy” am I creating?
• How can I honor where I came from while honoring where I’m headed?
• What boundaries do I need to protect my growth without severing love?
  ([40:55]–[41:10])

8. On the Power of Roots and Expansion

• Tyra shares vivid childhood memories, reinforcing that loving your origins doesn’t require physically staying there ([41:45]–[42:39]).
• She affirms:

  "Home can be a chapter and a compass at the same time. Something that shaped you, not something that has to contain you. Growth asks you to stretch, to evolve, to embrace both the discomfort and the freedom that comes with creating your own space in the world while still carrying the essence of where you came from." ([41:10]–[41:45])

• Tyra finds comfort and authenticity in intentionally building "home" through rituals, decor, recipes, and music—reminders that you can always carry "home" within you ([42:39]–[44:26]).
• Closing affirmation:

  “Home is not just a zip code. It can be a chapter, a compass, comfort, but never a cage.” ([44:26]–[44:47])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On outgrowing but honoring home:

  “Outgrowing a place doesn’t mean forgetting it. It just means you’re making space for new experiences, for new versions of yourself, while still keeping the roots that made you.” ([09:54]–[10:26])

• On adapting holiday traditions:

  “Everything that I just mentioned are not replacements for home and for your family, but they are reminders. They are little cues that say your roots are still with you even as you grow beyond them.” ([19:57]–[20:07])

• On perspective from moving away:

  “People who leave home… tend to have this perspective and this depth that only comes from stepping outside of what’s familiar.” ([25:55]–[27:19])

• On redefining connections:

  “Connection doesn’t always have to be physical. It can be thoughtful and it can be intentional through other methods.” ([32:20]–[32:34])

• On honoring your own path:

  “Leaving home isn’t about leaving any love behind, even though it can definitely feel like that. It’s about expanding the version of yourself that love gets to grow with.” ([34:21]–[34:31])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Personal story about leaving home: [03:17]–[05:04]
• Affirmation of the week & reflection: [07:21]–[09:14]
• How Tyra carries home with her: [13:05]–[20:07]
• Navigating guilt and growth: [25:24]–[34:31]
• Self-reflection questions: [40:55]–[41:10]
• Core message on roots and self-expansion: [41:10]–[44:26]
• Host’s closing encouragement: [44:26]–[45:00]

Fun & Lighthearted Segment: Christmas Movie Bracket

Starting at [44:57], Tyra hosts a playful Christmas movie tournament, revealing her personal favorites and encouraging listeners to make their own traditions, no matter where they are.

• Final winner: How the Grinch Stole Christmas ([50:50]).

Quote:

“If you cannot make it home for the holidays, I truly, truly urge you to make your own holiday, wherever you are.” ([51:22])

Takeaways

• Living far from home presents both challenges and opportunities for growth.
• Home is a feeling, a set of memories, and can be intentionally recreated wherever you are.
• It’s okay and safe to evolve, to create new traditions, and to carry your roots forward without being confined by them.
• Being intentional with connections, rituals, and self-reflection helps ease feelings of homesickness or disconnection, particularly during the holidays.

Closing Message:
No matter where you are this season, it’s safe to grow, it’s safe to evolve, and it’s safe to carry home with you in your own way.

Happy Holidays!