Am I deaf or hard of hearing?

The other night I went to a deaf Christmas party with my 2 deaf friends that I knew from school. I had a great time. For the first time in my life, I felt accepted and like I belonged. Everyone was warm and welcomed me. There were a couple of times where I felt a little out of my league because I do not know ASL well. There were some times where I thought "What are they saying?". But I still felt accepted and felt like I belonged, even though I do not always understand what is being said. I want to feel like I belong somewhere and I have found that in the deaf community. I've never felt like I belonged anywhere my whole life. Now I found where I belong. What is the definition of deaf? Some people feel that I am hard of hearing and other people define me as deaf. I don't know what category I belong in. I feel as if I'm deaf because if I'm not wearing my hearing aids, I have a real problem when people are trying to get my attention. I would love any feedback from you. I would like to know if there are others like me out there. We could help each other and encourage each other as we grow in our identity.