Karla with nephew Dominick Jr. and niece Caroline Photo: Karla Carrington

If home is where the heart is, then my home must now be Brooklyn. I went to North Carolina over Labor Day weekend for my nephew's 14th birthday party (hey Dominick Jr!), and it no longer felt like home. The experience was strange in the sense that it was both new and uncomfortable. Even now I pride myself on being a Southern girl, but something about that has changed.

On this visit, I drove past the house where I grew up with my parents, four siblings and usually a dog or two. The park where I had my first kiss is only a block away. Of course, the sight of my home stirred a plethora of emotion within. Some good, some bad, but all OK. Nothing about this walk down memory lane made me seek refuge in my usual way -- food -- when glancing back at my past.

I can tell that I have healed a lot because I could remember more good than bad. This house is where my eating addiction began. This house is where my brother's friend violated me and made me think being fat and unpretty would save me. A lot happened in this house, but my heart swells most remembering Sunday dinners akin to those in "Soul Food." We were a big family with not much money, but enough love to make up for the lack thereof. Overall, I had a great childhood.

No doubt I had to visit a few local eating spots that I sorely miss from the New York skyline. Chik-fil-A, Libby Hill, Biff Burgers and Cookout are a few. But even that was different. I was satisfied with a few bites instead of devouring everything. One thing is for sure: New York has changed me. The Southern girl I was when I arrived is not who I am now. My accent is the only thing that has not changed.

I almost felt guilty at how detached I felt from things formerly held sacred. That same detachment applies to my eating habits and draws me closer to fitness. I still struggle with my eating and binge on occasion, but it's a rarity and not a habit. Change is good. I may not be the same girl I was when I came to New York, but I am better, for sure. When you can't go home again, make a new one.

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