Did you move there, or were you born there?

I feel most at home, in the State of Calm.
It travels with me.

I like that, it's so true! In all my travels to different States, the ones I had the "at home" feeling was when my state of mind was calm and peaceful.

I feel most at home in my province of birth. I never realised, never thought I'd ever want to go back there. I've moved house 17x in life, lived abroad, travelled a lot. I have no roots anywhere, which is a sense is very liberating, but sometimes also a shame.
But even though I have no roots in a specific place, the people in my own province resonate with me, and the people where I live now don't. I've tried, Goddess knows I've tried. But they're too different.
So I'm longing to go home, but there are reasons why that is easier said than done. All in good time.

I’ve been in Maryland my entire life, I love it here.
Close to mountains, ocean, bay and we sorta still
have the four seasons. I’d love to move to the
Eastern Shore though, one day. :)

I love Kentucky but I don't feel it's where I'm supposed to be... I guess I haven't found "home" yet.

The state where I feel most at home is wherever I feel the most comfortable whether it's with family in the mountains of West Virginia or anywhere where good friends are from on one of my road trips.

Used to be Texas -was born here -but it's changed -very few truly pleasant days throughout the year. Summers have always been ridiculously hot, but it seems more humid now -and fewer cool/cold days overall.
I'm tired of being sweaty and sticky -and wave after wave of various allergens.

Being the first generation of my family born here in England (well, for several centuries anyway) I don't quite fit either here or in Ireland. While I love being in Ireland, I suppose this old Lancashire Mill-town vibe suits me best.

My birthplace and stomping grounds were in NWPA/NEOH. A small town surrounded by small towns. Lots of farms.
I lived there till the 80s when I joined the service.
In the service I lived in VA Beach/Norfolk and Gulfport MS.(my 3 boys were all born at Keesler AFB in Biloxi)
After the service, I tried to move back to my home town (my daughter was born in the same hospital as I but 30 years later).
I tried upstate New York and Ohio too.

After seeing how other cities and towns were, the attitudes of the people in general and the growth/infrastructure activity in a normal US city I realized PA was depressed and withered. People were condescending and really stuck in their own ruts, seemed pist at the world in general. The cops were in everyone's business and so many state regulations and rules, fees and fines.
Winters basically put everyone in house arrest, no public activities worth noting.

Moved to south St Louis MO.
People had a much better attitude. Businesses were booming, lots of construction, lots of year round public activities, great topography.
I raised my family and made a pretty decent living.

After my marriage I moved back home to PA.
What a depressing place to live.
It had only gotten worse over the years.
Spent 14 months and realized I didn't want to be there.

Moved back down South to MS.
My son lived in BSL so I moved closer to him.
I've been pretty happy here.
People are pretty friendly but stay out of yer business.
Nearly all the housing and infrastructure is new due to Katrina.
It cost little to register my truck and they did away with vehicle inspections a few years ago.
Over the 50 miles of coast there is something always happening. Parades, carnivals, festivals, car shows, fishing tournaments and so on.
NOLA is 60 miles from my doorstep.
Plus you have the beaches, which the local cities maintain.

The only issue is the summer heat but in trade, winters are wonderful.
I've seen homes here that don't even have furnaces. Just a heater in the bathroom.
Nights do get cold (about 35F) in the winter but when I was in PA last, there was a week straight where it didn't rise above zero and -14F at night.
I've had mild frostbite on all my extremities so cold is painful for me.

My last PA residence was a two bedroom upstairs apt.
$395 + utilities, heater but no a/c, street parking, paneled walls, indoor/outdoor carpet, drop ceiling and a very picky landlord.

I now live 1 mile from the beaches.
$750 + utilities, HVAC, off-street parking (2 spots), brand new apartments (I was 1st tenant), hardwood floors, marble counter tops, washer, dryer (maytag) stove & fridge (whirlpool), front porch, outside storage unit, 12 foot ceilings, lawn care service, on-site maintenance, pest control contract and a responsive landlord.
Since I was first tenant I had the choice of adding a dishwasher and garbage disposal for a higher rent but I declined. I moved in 6 years ago at $575 @ mo rent but the duplex complex was sold and lost its federal offset. I don't qualify for assistance because I get too much money.
I'm looking to move (4% rent increase annually) but if I do, it will be somewhere in town. Its a tourism town so housing costs are elevated compared to the rest of the state.

So, I wasn't born here but I doubt I will ever move away.
Living in my hometown again would be insanity. I'm not even interested in going back for a visit. I'll take the South any day. Screw the NEUS.

Traveled to several states, I like Montana but too Cold to live there .

Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, raised in the Bay Area of California,
with which I associate most, though I live in Oregon.

How about you spanky?

I've lived my whole life in New York. It's definitely my home but I don't feel at home. I will probably move somewhere in New England soon, hopefully.

Nelson, New Zealand

The closest I've felt to home, is Ad Dakhla Lagoons, Western Sahara, and deep in the Sahara desert itself... Maybe because it's totally isolated

In all honesty, I will say that I have never really felt welcome, anywhere on this planet.


It feels like someone/everyone else's place. Not mine.

Somewhere between confusion and desperation.

I thought New Yorkers (born and bred) found everywhere else kinda ..slow?
No? I found New England to be gorgeous..so good luck on a move ;-)

That's where I ended up after bouncing around with seasonal work. I felt really drawn to this area after visiting and staying a while last year.

My birthplace is Weymouth, Massachusetts, but I was raised elsewhere. Maybe the fact that I was born in New England is why I felt so drawn to return here, it just feels very familiar to me and feels like I'm home. At least for now.