parts littered all over the place

[gfrancie]

I was looking at some random blog today and there were some photos of the Pacific Northwest. Such obvious sorts of photos to a native like myself, and just a glance at the pictures made my heart leap and drop in a tiny moment. That feeling of "That's my home!" followed by, "And it's so far away."
It isn't that I am having a good time here. I am. I love this part of the world very much but it is a different sort of love. It feels like a much more conscious choice to love this place, whereas my love for my place of origin is unconditional and complicated.

Comments

[land-girl.livejournal.com]

I'm not a bit surprised you feel like this.

I am still nostalgic for the suburb of Pittsburgh where I spent some months many years ago - but I didn't realize until it was time to leave how much I loved it there! Fortunately you have time :-)

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

True. How true.
I figure there are a lot of people who wrestle with this; especially should they decide to stay. Someone I know who has lived abroad for a few decades talks about that balance.

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

:(

I may have to leave Massachusetts soon because of my job situation and I am not looking forward to it.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

That does suck a great deal. I hope that if you do have to leave, that you can come back soon.

[cutebutpsycho99.livejournal.com]

I get how you feel. It's just that Washington is family. You know it in and out, it's quirks and it might drive you crazy, but you also love it dearly. England is that person you chose to marry and love (if that makes sense).

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

Exactly. That is it.

[oreouk.livejournal.com]

I have a tendency to feel like that over photos of San Francisco, which is a bit mad given I only lived there for 4 years and that was 34 years ago, but some emotional ties to places are very sticky regardless of the unlikelyhood of ever living there again.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

Yes. Leaving oneself all over the world.

[gracefruit.livejournal.com]

It gets easier as time passes. I've lived in a lot of places, but I wouldn't want to be anywhere but here. The UK is a fantastic place to raise children.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

That seems to be the impression I get. I am sure it has its ups and downs like anywhere else. But there are things here that do strike me as big positives. It does seem like there is more support for families.

[maliekai.livejournal.com]

I think it's OK (and quite usual) to have more than one place that feels like home, in different ways and for different reasons. Emotions and places and connections between emotions and places are complicated, mystical things.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

Yep. Definitely that.

[needlediva.livejournal.com]

makes me think of Tom, who one day was in a book store in NYC, and happened to glance at a book that had a picture of the Hood Canal bridge, looking west, with the mountains in the backround. apparently, he just lost it.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

We are an emotional bunch. I found a good picture for my laptop's wallpaper that is of Puget Sound, with the Olympic mountains in the background. You can also see Bainbridge Island and the beaches. It's that collective stuff that makes me feel okay.