I’ve been gone from my hometown for sixteen sweet and sometimes bitter years. Looking back, the memories give me a sense of pride and rejoice. Though some thoughts remain fuzzy, it’s clear that growing up in my hometown was a mesmerizing experience.

Nevertheless the paramount mentioning of my mother who passed away and whose ashes were set free with the wind of the Franklin Mountains — which snuggles around the city I grew up in. My Mother — an Angel of the mountains. Never will I heal from the void of not having her around but knowing she’s free in nature brings true peace to my heart and a smile to my soul.

I went to my hometown for Christmas 2015. Last time I was there was four years prior. Being older, there was a connection like none other. I’m now longing to be home. My mind wonders for hours imagining what life would be like if I moved back or retired there and even what it would have been like if I never left.

The sliding door effect gets me spellbound every time while staring into the glistening abyss of all the glorious possibilities. Tunes me into Adele’s Hometown Glory song. Her first song ever written, in ten minutes, not a minute more, when she was just eighteen.

As Adele was protesting leaving her hometown as a teenager, I was packing my bags ready to explore the world. Smart girl I was, a little geek in math and science, so I applied to colleges in states far far away. I didn’t even fathom applying to my towns university at the time. It was my focus to get and go. I ended up going to college in another state. The out of state tuition was a shame to my finances. Only months later was I in the college library searching the web and playing on Priceline for coupons and codes, crossing my fingers for the cheapest flights home.

Though I feel that moving and exploring on new ventures adds character and enlightens perception regarding the world, I must say, staying close to home is one of the better options.

Today, I’m a Mother of my own little children, who eventually will grow up. I’m 10 hours away from my hometown — even that’s a wee bit too far. So from my adventures in life, I have gathered to do everything in my power to keep family as close together as possible through advocating for my nieces and nephews, as well as my own little ones, to stay close to home when heading off to college and entering adulthood.

Enjoy traveling, even go off and study abroad, work out of town sometimes, but nest a home closest to family and the sweetest, nostalgic memories that come along with it. Sure, you can’t control everything and people move — that’s just life but try. If you stay close to home, you’ll be better off searching Priceline coupon codes for vacations, not for the struggle to get back home for a visit.

Being a mother really opens the eyes on how family, traditions and memories are so much more important than anything in the world. The sweet, little things are truly the everlasting gift of life.

Final Thought

My hometown is like a time vacuum. Not really much has changed. Still the same restaurants, traditions and cultural feel, so I get a nostalgic blast that hits all the senses! I’m even contemplating on retiring there or moving back someday if the opportunity presents itself.

Share your thoughts on whether moving back to your home town after being gone for so long is a good idea or not. Does anyone feel the same?