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anita.
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June 15, 2026 at 10:19 pm #458628
ChristiParticipantI’ve now lived away from the small town where I grew up longer than I actually lived there. Yet the place still calls to me.
My family has owned land there for generations, and I have the opportunity to return home—to the house where I was raised, sitting on five beautiful acres in what I believe is one of the most beautiful places in Washington state.
For years, I’ve built a life in an urban area. But there has always been a part of me that feels pulled back home. When I visit, something in me settles. My soul feels at peace there.
And yet, there’s a strange contradiction: sometimes when I’m in my hometown, I feel homesick. Not for another place exactly, but for a version of home that no longer exists. My parents are gone. Life has changed. The town is the same in many ways, but I’m not the same person who left.
Now I find myself at a crossroads. Do I return to the home and land that hold so much history and meaning? Or do I accept that my life has grown elsewhere and continue building it in an urban area?
Part of me wonders what advice my parents would give to me.
I don’t know the answer yet. And I ask the universe to show me a sign in a way that I’d recognize and know what to do.Has anyone else experienced something similar—a deep pull toward home, while also feeling uncertain whether returning is the right choice? If so, I’d love to hear your story and what helped you make your decision.
June 15, 2026 at 10:39 pm #458632
anitaParticipantDear Christi:
The coincidence (!) you wrote: “sitting on five beautiful acres in what I believe is one of the most beautiful places in Washington state.”-
I am sitting on exactly 5 beautiful acres in the evergreen state right now.
Late here and just turned dark only half an hour ago. I’ll write more in the morning.
Anita
June 15, 2026 at 11:51 pm #458633
AlessaParticipantHi Christi
My condolences for the loss of your parents. 🩵
Hmm I see the dilemma.
Have you tried making a list of pros and cons?
What does your gut tell you?
Do you think that it you did move back, you would be able to cope with that homesick feeling?
Do you take vacations there?
A different situation, I’m currently choosing my son’s first nursery. I’m doing the pros and cons thing. I know what my gut would choose. I’m going to talk to some loved ones about it. Still not sure yet.
It’s okay to take your time with a decision. I hope the universe gives you a sign. 🩵
I’ll write back with how my decision making goes. 😊
June 16, 2026 at 6:19 am #458634
Thomas168ParticipantHello,
To me. when there is a place which holds a draw, it is usually because there were feelings attached to a person who resided there. Could have been parents or siblings or even a lost love. Now, looking for advice from others about where you should be is not going to fix this feeling of belonging. No other person can give you the right answer without knowing a whole lot more about you. And it is doubtful that a forum full of strangers will get to know you well enough in a short period of time.
So, what should you do? Make a list of what holds you to each place such as friends, work, opportunities and anything special. Put numbers next to the items on the list. The more draw the higher the number. What brings more happiness, the higher the number. Add it up and see where it leads. Then remember that the past is gone and only the present matters. It is hard to let go of the past. Memories and such do take its toll. What the list will do is help you see what is available to you.
If you have friends then talk with them also. For some, settling in a place called home helps the soul. For others, leaving the past behind frees the soul from bonds that hold them back. It is good to have choices. As for signs from the Universe, it becomes all a matter of how you interpret the signs. Some people like the rain and others like sunshine. Then there are the others who bask in the sunshine and rink the rain water.
June 16, 2026 at 8:16 am #458637
RobertaParticipantHi Christi
Yes your hometown has changed, very few places are museums & the people you were most close to have passed away.
What pulls us deeply to a place can be hard to quantify.
Does your soul feel that deep sense of peace where you live now?
I guess you can move back & if it does not feel right, there is nothing to stop you returning to where you are now or seeking pastures new.
I returned back to my home island 30years ago & have never seriously regretted it, a place of true peace is a precious thing, which I carry within me & it comes more alive & visible when I am here.
Best wishes with your decision making process & its outcome.
RobertaJune 16, 2026 at 10:43 am #458640anitaParticipantGood Tuesday morning, Christy ✨️
The 5 acres where you once lived carry memories of people who are no longer alive, and it carries certain youthful hopes and dreams, I imagine, such that didn’t come true.
So, if you move back there, you’ll be living with a lot of reminders of the people, hopes and dreams that are no longer there.
It touched me that you wondered what kind of advice your parents would give you.
They are gone now, but you know they live within you. When they look at you in your mind’s eye, do they smile at you with love? Do they approve of your life in the city?
🌿🌿🌿 Anita
June 16, 2026 at 9:56 pm #458659ChristiParticipantThank you for this. You’ve touched on something I’ve been struggling to put into words.
I do think the property carries memories. Memories not just of my parents, but of an entire version of life that no longer exists. The house represents love, family, security, and belonging, but it also represents loss. Sometimes I wonder whether I’m longing for the place itself or for the people who made it feel like home.As for my parents, I do believe they would smile at me with love. I built a life that is very different from the one they lived. I think they’d tell me to separate the login from the emo Thtion.
The harder question for me is whether returning home would be honoring what was, or whether it would be trying to hold on to something that has already passed. I haven’t figured that out yet.
What I do know is that when I’m on that land, a part of me feels deeply at peace. And yet, strangely, I can also feel homesick there.
The sun has just set and it’s still light out.
June 16, 2026 at 10:00 pm #458660anitaParticipantMy goodness, the sun did just set here, W. Wash.
June 16, 2026 at 10:05 pm #458661anitaParticipantI will reply further in the morning, Christy
June 16, 2026 at 10:39 pm #458663anitaParticipantTo be exact, it was completely dark here in Sedro‑Woolley, WA tonight at 9:54 PM, which is when last light ended. Sunset was at 9:14 PM. Still light.
June 17, 2026 at 6:10 am #458665ChristiParticipantThank you for this. You’ve touched on something I’ve been struggling to put into words.
I do think the property carries memories. Memories not just of my parents, but of an entire version of life that no longer exists. The house represents love, family, security, and belonging, but it also represents loss. Sometimes I wonder whether I’m longing for the place itself or for the people who made it feel like home.As for my parents, I do believe they would smile at me with love. I built a life that is very different from the one they lived. I think they’d tell me to separate the login from the emo Thtion.
The harder question for me is whether returning home would be honoring what was, or whether it would be trying to hold on to something that has already passed. I haven’t figured that out yet.
What I do know is that when I’m on that land, a part of me feels deeply at peace. And yet, strangely, I can also feel homesick there.
The sun has just set and it’s still light out.
June 17, 2026 at 6:12 am #458666ChristiParticipantI wrote this last night and didn’t hit submit
June 17, 2026 at 6:26 am #458667ChristiParticipantGoodness, I suppose that’s a sign of how much I’ve been carrying lately. My brain is a little overwhelmed. I see that I already wrote and posted my response last night. I awoke to the birds chirping at 4:30 this morning. It is cool outside this morning, the coastal air never disappoints.
June 17, 2026 at 6:43 am #458668ChristiParticipantRoberta,
Thank you for your thoughtful message. I have made pros and cons lists, and interestingly, they seem to change depending on the day. My heart and my head don’t always agree with each other.When I’m home on 5 acres of beautiful land, there is a deep sense of peace and connection that I don’t find anywhere else. I feel homesick when away from my childhood home. But when I’m there, I sometimes feel homesick for the urban life. It’s as if part of me belongs in both places. As cliche as it sounds, “home is where the heart is.”
I do visit regularly, especially because of estate matters over the last few years, so I’ve had plenty of opportunities to experience what life there might feel like.
I like what you said about taking my time. I am a thinker by nature. I’m wired this way. It’s good and bad. Because at the end of the day, it’s a decision.
Good luck with choosing your son’s nursery. That’s a big decision too, and it sounds like you’re approaching it with a lot of care. I’d love to hear how it turns out for you!
June 17, 2026 at 6:44 am #458669anitaParticipantGood morning, Christy! Working on a reply
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