So I recently went back to the home country to visit some family, and had a bit of an epiphany. I don’t miss my home state at all, and I could never live there again.
For a little background - I am from a small-ish town in SE Montana (Billings), and spent 10 years (age 8 to 18) there before leaving home to join the Air Force. When I was on active duty, I was stationed in Germany and Korea, and also did temporary duty pretty much everywhere we have an Air Force base outside the US in that time. After active duty, I joined the Air National Guard and tried to go to school, then moved to Portland, OR. I lived there for about 2 years, then to Seattle for about 5, and have been living in the UK for about 3 (and in London for about 1.5). I’m 31 now (32 in April). My dad died 6 years ago, and my mom moved to Portland a year after that (has been there for 4 years now) along with my sister, but I still have grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins in MT.
So here’s my question - why don’t I miss Montana at all? I like it there, enjoy visiting when I can, but absolutely don’t want to live there again. Same goes for Seattle, and for Portland. I just can’t imagine living in any of those places again, or if I do it’s for a brief period of fantasy then forget about it.
But I want to live in Germany again, and would even think of giving Korea a go again - especially going back as a civilian rather than as an enlisted airman. And I really like living in the UK.
I don’t think it’s the job, as I don’t really live to work anymore although it’s nice to get enough of a paycheck to survive on, and it’s not family who I get along pretty well with and always pretty much have (so no horrible memories or anything driving me out). I had a pretty happy childhood, with a pretty happy nuclear family, and an extended family that was pretty nice as well. Not Ozzy and Harriet, but who really is?
So why don’t I miss ‘home’ at all? Any ideas?