Do you ever want to just go home? Or would you prefer to never step foot back again?

-- Renee (justme@justme.org), February 23, 2001

Answers

depends on how you define "home" - I grew up in Kentucky and miss it very little, but I went to college in Chicago and sometimes miss it very acutely indeed. (Baseball season's coming - another year for the White Sox to break my heart.

-- peg / mechaieh (nashchick@ivillage.com), February 23, 2001.

Having moved from AUstralia to the USA, I regularly get homesick, but it's brought on by odd things lately. Like finding out there's a TV show that I'd really really watch if I was still there. Or getting an email from my Mum talking about having lunch with my sister. Sigh. I'd miss things from here now too, it's now possible to be homesick for two homes.

-- Amanda Page (amanda@amandasprecipice.com), February 26, 2001.

Oh yes, all the freaking time.

I just don't have a hometown to be homesick *for* - there's Nebraska for little kid stuff, Germany for high school, and Arizona as the place that 'feels' most like the home of my adulthood. But there are about 10 other places I've lived sprinkled between those, and none of them would be the way I remember them anymore - no people left there that I know.

I think I get homesick for the whole idea of having a hometown where people remember you when.

-- Lynda B (lyndacat@bigfoot.com), February 26, 2001.

I was homesick, every day for 5 years. I moved from Upstate NY, where my family (aside from my parents and siblings) was, to Arizona. As soon as I was able, I moved back to Upstate NY. Not bitter at all (yeah right.)

In a lot of ways, I think I'd always wanted something 'more' for myself than this place, but once I fully understood the reality of being anywhere but here, that desire flew out the window.

Granted, this isn't the best place in the world, there's really not much to do, nothing to see- but it's home.

-- Melissa (melissa@alittlehappiness.com), February 27, 2001.

I grew up in Michigan, N. Dakota, Minnesota, and then (gasp) Long Island. What a contrast *that* was...

Well, I miss the midwest that I knew, with wide-open spaces, kids that played outside all the time, friendly people who worked hard, but I know this is a place that doesn't exist anymore. Its more the past, I think instead of the place.

I'll rarely miss Long Island, but when I do, its just a three-hour, convoluted, frustrating car ride away. After LI, I lived in Connectcut for 15 years. I will never miss that state. Ever. Ever.

Now here's a funny thing. I've been married for almost two years now, and one of the cool things my in-laws do is that they rent a place on Topsail Island (Renee, you know all about this place!) for a couple of weeks in the summer, after the season ends, though. Well, I get homesick for this beach a LOT! I can't wait for this year!

-- annie (anne.stewart@bms.com), February 27, 2001.

I grew up in ND until I was 18. I was eager to move away and escape boring midwestern life, so I did. I moved out to southern CA right after highschool where I lived for 11 years and never looked back. I've been back a total of 5 times to visit family but I no longer have friends there, and no relatives in the town I grew up in so no point in visiting there specifically. I do not miss it anyway. I did not enjoy where I grew up. Even when I visit ND to see relatives, I can't stand being there. I have no nostalgia about it. I might if my grandparents still lived in the house I grew up in when I was little, but they sold it long ago and moved to another town. I don't think of ND as "home". I moved to CO three years ago (from CA) and really like it here. I miss CA but not so much I'd move back. Right now I think of CO as home because it's where *my* family is, my husband and daughter. Wherever we are together is where home is. My past is in the past, and no I do not get homesick. I miss my grandnparents and a few other relatives, but I don't miss where they live!

-- Amethyst (honeybee@journalist.com), February 27, 2001.

You betcha I get homesick... every spring or is it every fall? Both really. Not in a hurry to shovel snow so will skip missing winter in PA.

I'd like to go back to the Fair sometime. Sad part is I have no desire to tangle with mom and that is what would happen if I go 'home' now.

-- bonnie (texasbonnie1@yahoo.com), February 27, 2001.

I get homesick for my home town, for the people once there -- now dispersed, some to the grave others to different climes. I get homesick for the buildings long gone, the streets as they once were. The love is still there, but things have moved on.

-- Denver doug (ionoi@webtv.net), February 27, 2001.

Homesickness is underestimated. I literally get physically sick from missing the States as much as I do. I was taken there at the age of 11, as my father was transferred from Europe, and I was forced to leave at the age of 18, to go back to a country I no longer knew or associated with. I moved back for about 2 years (went to college there through an exchange program) after which I was forced again to move back. The feeling is like a constant heartache, and sucks all the life out of me, literally, to the point where one gets suicidal. I wonder if everybody realizes what an impact homesickness can have and that it's more than just missing something.

-- Barbara van de Sande (BarB-Q@hetnet.nl), July 16, 2001.

i have grown up with my father in the Air Force and spent most of my life overseas in Europe and the Middle East. if i get homesick for any place, it's usually Europe. i can go for years without stepping foot in America...it's funny, but i feel very little connection to it...i have a very small extended family and very few friends left in the US. but mention Europe (ESPECIALLY Germany) and i get all teary eyed and nostalgic, wishing i could go back in time and be there again. i constantly look and pictures and listening to music that i listened to while i was there. i'm sure it wasn't as perfect as i imagined, but i would love to return there- i've been gone not even a year yet! i will also see something and be reminded of my childhood in Saudi Arabia (sand, sun and camels) or England (pasties, red telephone boxes and soft British rain) or Greece (Greek food and the Mediterannean).

-- K (gypsy_fire@dangerous.net), January 02, 2002.

I get homesick and I havent even moved yet. My husband has moved and is waiting for us to come. I have lived in the same town since 1977 so to leave here will be hard. I also get homesick for how it was when I grew up, very small town, everyone knew everyone, but those days are long gone.....Sad..........

-- Traci (stkranch@aol.com), June 15, 2002.

Yes, I do get homesick and I cry very hard. I just want to be home cuddling up with my mom, but I can't!.I try to call her but she can't understand me because I'm crying so hard and I can't stop. All I do is just think about something else. Maybe, like something I'm gonna to do fun the next day or what's coming up fun at school or just something that takes my mind off of wanting to be back in my own bed and back with my mom.

-- Kassi Lynn (Kaskid@rochester.rr.com), August 03, 2002.

Yes I get homesick. Im in my third year at college in Michigan and I still miss home. I have been miss being in st louis alot. I wont be able to go home until december 12th I hate having to wait for christmas break. I have been up here since labor day.

-- Johnny Damon (quepasaenlaraza@aol.com), October 28, 2002.

I just moved to Louisville, KY from Paducah, only a four hour drive but I too get homesick, a lot! I am working two jobs while going to school full time, and even though I live with my boyfriend of a year and get to go home about every 7 weeks, I start to miss my old friends and surroundings terribly!

-- Tosha (crazy_lil_kitten12701@yahoo.com), November 18, 2002.

i havent even left yet and already i can feel that horible stabbing ache in my heart.i will miss my computer,my mum,guinea pigs,tekken,home...everything! i will be gone for approximately...60 hours. :(

-- bek (yokozuna.bekkk@virgin.net), December 25, 2002.

I do get home sick i was born in England i moved away because of my dads work to america i lived in michigan for 3years i like it for 1year untill.I became homesick and missed england so aafter 3 years we moved back to england i found i have made a big mistake i miss america now beacause i miss my old school i went to and mall and summers in america i wont a way to return some day.

-- Alex moore (www.alexmoore@Btopenworld.com), January 05, 2003.

I do get home sick i was born in England i moved away because of my dads work to america i lived in michigan for 3years i like it for 1year untill.I became homesick and missed england so after 3 years we moved back to england i found i have made a big mistake i miss america now beacause i miss my old school i went to and mall and summers in america i wont a way to return some day.

-- Alex moore (www.alexmoore@Btopenworld.com), January 05, 2003.