So true.... what is home? I have no idea. We drove into Los Angeles from where I live in the South Bay, it sort of felt like home but I haven't lived there since I was 6, I lived in the Valley, never felt like home. Lived in San Francisco.... felt like home but I don't think it would if I went back now. My Mom with dementia in Memory Care always wants to go home...she has no idea what that means and I don't know what that means for her either.. It is sad.
Beautifully said. Made me tear up a little. I feel all of this so much too. My siblings live all over the place now, and we don't have the house that we grew up in anymore. My husband and children and I came to Florida for a job a few years ago and it's mostly wonderful. But there is a constant, vague, underlying feeling of homesickness for something or somewhere that doesn't really exist anymore.
It’s a perfectly crafted story from the collective murmurs of our hearts. Loved every word of it and I’m going to say what everyone else here has already said - it spoke to my soul. As a transcontinental immigrant, homesickness is built into the DNA of my experience in the US. At times, it’s debilitating. But the fact is that I have lived here for 9 years now and a whole lot of me has changed in this period. You’ve given me some uncomfortable ideas to chew on - is my homesickness also me lamenting the loss of my old self? Powerful and brave thought. Thanks for articulating it. ❤️
I resonated so much with this Lane, even though I'm still living just a few subway stops from where I grew up! The city where I live now, and the person I have become in it, are dramatically transformed (though post-pandemic NYC bears some frightening resemblances to the NYC of the 80s when I was a kid here). And even more important, I have changed. This quote from Natalie Brown -- "The pandemic exposed more than it created the preexisting cracks in my support network. I was already lonely and inadequately supported as a mother of young children living in Colorado" -- really sits with me, because when I was moving back to NY after being away during the height of the pandemic, the thing I was most afraid of was being without the support of community - friends, childcare providers, teachers. We tried to find a solution for that which worked for us but I know that many folks have felt that isolation profoundly. I'm encouraged that there are policy proposals on the table to address some of this, but I worry that people's social lives will need rebuilding, and that, in the drive to go back to "normal" we will skip over those things that most connect us to others! Thank you so much for this great piece!
Beautiful Lane! I really miss those hills behind the gate. Especially in the spring when they were filled with yellow flowers. I remember camping with you and Brooke up there for the first time without adults. So many memories of that place. It’s definitely tugs at my heart to think of how it used to be. Good luck with your move back to NYC! It was fun to chat for a minute while you were in STG.
Lane, what a great article. You described SLC/UT beautifully. I wish it could have stayed as it was 15 years ago. With all the growth recently I don't feel at "home" at times.
Once again you’ve written a masterpiece, Lane, that speaks so directly to my heart and soul. I am homesick for my own childhood and life in the Chicago suburbs but also know that life will most likely never take me back there. It’s hard to navigate all of those feelings and to try to find a place where I feel complete.
This hits very close to home. I moved out to Washington DC almost 10 years ago, and for most of that time, I always assumed I would end up back West, or more specifically in Utah. But after visiting Utah in February 2020, I realized that “home” had changed and I had changed, too.
I love, love, love, your thoughts on home and you are leaving at my favorite season. We have loved having you and your family here; you will be sorely missed. But your beautiful article has boosted my confidence that you will return!
So true.... what is home? I have no idea. We drove into Los Angeles from where I live in the South Bay, it sort of felt like home but I haven't lived there since I was 6, I lived in the Valley, never felt like home. Lived in San Francisco.... felt like home but I don't think it would if I went back now. My Mom with dementia in Memory Care always wants to go home...she has no idea what that means and I don't know what that means for her either.. It is sad.
Beautifully said. Made me tear up a little. I feel all of this so much too. My siblings live all over the place now, and we don't have the house that we grew up in anymore. My husband and children and I came to Florida for a job a few years ago and it's mostly wonderful. But there is a constant, vague, underlying feeling of homesickness for something or somewhere that doesn't really exist anymore.
It’s a perfectly crafted story from the collective murmurs of our hearts. Loved every word of it and I’m going to say what everyone else here has already said - it spoke to my soul. As a transcontinental immigrant, homesickness is built into the DNA of my experience in the US. At times, it’s debilitating. But the fact is that I have lived here for 9 years now and a whole lot of me has changed in this period. You’ve given me some uncomfortable ideas to chew on - is my homesickness also me lamenting the loss of my old self? Powerful and brave thought. Thanks for articulating it. ❤️
I resonated so much with this Lane, even though I'm still living just a few subway stops from where I grew up! The city where I live now, and the person I have become in it, are dramatically transformed (though post-pandemic NYC bears some frightening resemblances to the NYC of the 80s when I was a kid here). And even more important, I have changed. This quote from Natalie Brown -- "The pandemic exposed more than it created the preexisting cracks in my support network. I was already lonely and inadequately supported as a mother of young children living in Colorado" -- really sits with me, because when I was moving back to NY after being away during the height of the pandemic, the thing I was most afraid of was being without the support of community - friends, childcare providers, teachers. We tried to find a solution for that which worked for us but I know that many folks have felt that isolation profoundly. I'm encouraged that there are policy proposals on the table to address some of this, but I worry that people's social lives will need rebuilding, and that, in the drive to go back to "normal" we will skip over those things that most connect us to others! Thank you so much for this great piece!
Beautiful words and thoughts. Your last paragraph left me teary eyed.
Beautiful Lane! I really miss those hills behind the gate. Especially in the spring when they were filled with yellow flowers. I remember camping with you and Brooke up there for the first time without adults. So many memories of that place. It’s definitely tugs at my heart to think of how it used to be. Good luck with your move back to NYC! It was fun to chat for a minute while you were in STG.
I have received so many DMs on this. So many of us are feeling a version of this. At least we are not alone...
Lane, what a great article. You described SLC/UT beautifully. I wish it could have stayed as it was 15 years ago. With all the growth recently I don't feel at "home" at times.
Once again you’ve written a masterpiece, Lane, that speaks so directly to my heart and soul. I am homesick for my own childhood and life in the Chicago suburbs but also know that life will most likely never take me back there. It’s hard to navigate all of those feelings and to try to find a place where I feel complete.
This hits very close to home. I moved out to Washington DC almost 10 years ago, and for most of that time, I always assumed I would end up back West, or more specifically in Utah. But after visiting Utah in February 2020, I realized that “home” had changed and I had changed, too.
Thank you so much for the shoutout! This essay resonated deeply with me.
I love, love, love, your thoughts on home and you are leaving at my favorite season. We have loved having you and your family here; you will be sorely missed. But your beautiful article has boosted my confidence that you will return!
Lane, this is so so good! And can’t wait for you to come home!