A Place Called Home

Ah, home. Home sweet home.

I grew up on the South Coast of New South Wales. I was born there, went to school there, and promptly left as soon as I was old enough.

I had a great childhood. I loved where I lived. It was close to beaches {not that we ever really visited}, safe, and easy-going… but I always knew that I was going to leave as soon as I finished high school. It was a small town and I didn’t see my future there. I think it was in part because my older sister did the same, and what she did I followed with.

So I have a head and heart full of great memories from those years, but I don’t consider it home at all. As corny as it sounds, home is where my husband is, and my girls too. As soon as I met him, he became my anchor and my home, and it’s when I’m with him that I feel all the things that home should feel like. And this new home that we moved to 5 years ago, that’s our home and it’s felt more home than anywhere I’ve lived.

I’ve been newly introduced to Spotifty and I’m obsessed. I’ve been playing a WHOLE lot of Ed Sheeran and Adele lately {so much so that Shane is like, “Wow, I’ve never heard these songs before! ?” One of those songs is Castle On The Hill. You know it.

It’s basically a love song about a place. A PLACE. It made me nostalgic. At the times we got drunk at parties in fields and beaches, and the time I got a job and felt so proud, and happy that I was going to be making dollars. Deep, man.

So, if you’ve listened to Ed’s song you’ll hear him sing, “And I miss the way, You make me feel.” He talks about the way he feels driving back home. He really loves his home. Like, really. Enough to write a love song about it. I’ve driven back to that place I used to call home so many times, and sometimes I felt that excitement, but sometimes I felt more ‘meh’ about it than love. Perhaps it’s because my parents divorced not long after I left and it didn’t feel as awesome, anymore. Perhaps if they were still together and had a cosy little home that smelt like home, I’d feel differently. Perhaps. Deep, still.

So I want to know, do you love where you grew up? Enough to write a love song? Tell me how you feel.

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3 thoughts on “A Place Called Home”

  1. I think about this same thing when I listen to Ed’s song. I left my small home town the minute I started uni – and my parents left at the same time. I think if they had have stayed then I would have those feelings (maybe). Maybe it’s the people who anchor us like you say about you and Shane and the girls now? Ironically my first job post-uni was back in the same town. I had a ball with lots of other newcomers at that time – first-year out teachers, journos and health professionals – very different experience to growing up there.

  2. I live in Wollongong and I must admit that driving down Mt Ousley after a day in Sydney (or beyond) and seeing the city sprawled out through the side window, really does give me a warm “I’m almost home” feeling.

  3. My parents are divorced and we no longer have a “family home” and I hate that I don’t have that security. My husband has it and when we go there he walks in like he’s home. Helps himself to the fridge etc and it’s like he never left.
    Over the weekend I had to drive across town to the suburb of my high school. I was so nostalgic telling my husband “that’s my school, that’s the hall where we had our formal, that used to be red rooster and we went there after school!” It was such a nice feeling of familiarity. Like a quick trip down memory lane ?

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