Homesickness

"Tristan" (casselts) 02/11/2019 at 02:02 • Filed to: None

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I’ve lived in some amazing places and I love the entirety of the U.S.A. Every state I’ve been to has something wonderful, and Oregon is no exception.

But I miss the farmland I grew up on, the tiny town I called home for so long , my old friends I haven’t seen in years, my old haunts, the gravel roads, the lakes, the rivers, the dairy farm I worked for ... Usually I try not to give it much thought , but when I start to think about home, I go down into a spiral of homesickness. Though   I know my life wouldn’t be what it is and I wouldn’t have this same appreciation for the place that made me if I had never left.

I’ve moved 12 times since leaving in 3 different geographical regions. I’ve spent considerable time in more countries than I care to recount right now, and I know there are people “back home” that are jealous of me for getting out and seeing the world. B ut a part of me will always be jealous of people who can put down roots.

My dad turns 73 this year. I need to visit him.

Future Heap Owner > Tristan 02/11/2019 at 02:36

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I have no solid reason to visit Minnesota any longer, and it bums me out. My folks moved away the same time I did, and I don’t keep in touch with any friends I had there — which is sad because that’s where I grew up — and most of them that I used to keep in touch with have moved away.

So I haven’t been back in... nine years? And don’t see myself going back anytime soon. Which makes me sad.  I’ve been thinking about this more,  recently.

CB > Tristan 02/11/2019 at 02:39

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I moved 3000 kilometers for love and a chance of work, as well as the fact that I couldn’t live in my hometown, monetarily and because I couldn’t li ve in a big city anymore. In a month, I’ll be visiting it for the first time in about a year and a half to see old friends and my family.

So, what I'm getting at is you should visit home and see your dad.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Tristan 02/11/2019 at 06:58

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I hear you. I’ve moved something like 18 times. Now that my mom has passed, I have one uncle and one friend who are the anchors back home. I haven’t been there in over a year. I have cousins I haven’t seen in five years or more; second cousins I haven’t seen in almost 30 years.

Life goes on. 

shop-teacher > Tristan 02/11/2019 at 07:28

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You should definitely go visit.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Tristan 02/11/2019 at 09:22

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Book your ticket today. 

Tristan > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 02/11/2019 at 13:28

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I wish it was that easy!

Tristan > TheRealBicycleBuck 02/11/2019 at 13:30

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I was never close with my cousins and aunts/uncles growing up. It's why we moved to Oregon so my kids could have what I didn't. I sure hope they appreciate it!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Tristan 02/11/2019 at 13:30

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Okay, tomorrow. =) You won’t regret it. 

Tristan > CB 02/11/2019 at 13:31

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I haven't been back since... Shoot, it's been over a year and a half. :(

Tristan > Future Heap Owner 02/11/2019 at 13:33

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I haven't really kept in touch with friends much, but I know they're still around and would always be willing to grab a beer and catch up. You should go back- if nothing else just to see what your home town looks like after not seeing it for a decade!

Tristan > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 02/11/2019 at 13:34

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Probably spring break. I'm a loser who waited until hev was in his 30s with a family and a career before going after my bachelor's. I do have plans to go in August, but I don't want to wait that long!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Tristan 02/11/2019 at 13:43

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Not a loser. Have a great spring break trip! 

TheRealBicycleBuck > Tristan 02/11/2019 at 14:02

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My mom was quite disappointed when I didn’t make a huge effort to attend my grandfather’s funeral. We moved to another state when I was three and I saw him maybe once every other year. When we did go visit , all of his time was taken up by the adults, so I never had any experience with him being a grandpa. I really didn’t feel any bond with the fellow, so I wasn’t inclined to put myself and my family in a bind to travel to another state to attend his funeral.

My step -grandfather did do all those grandpa things. I was a pall-bearer at his funeral.

We’ve worked hard to make sure our kids get to know their relatives, even the ones who live out of state. It’s been hard, but it’s been worth it so far.

I’m sure your kids will appreciate your sacrifices. Probably not now, but someday.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Tristan 02/11/2019 at 14:25

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So that makes 3 of us on here, from there, living in OR. Kinda nuts.

I used to get that way more. It's faded mostly. Still comes roaring back every now and then. But a lot has changed back home. There's a lot of faces I don't know. Still fun going back for a few days every now and then. Aside from family and friends, I mostly miss the snow and thunderstorms. I mean real snow and real thunderstorms. I know you know what that means.

Tristan > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 02/11/2019 at 16:49

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God I miss watching a massive wall cloud rolling across the plains, feeling the static in the air and the pressure drop , smelling the rain, seeing the lightning and hearing the thunder. And just as fast as it hits, it's gone again.  Oregon’s weather is so boring!

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Tristan 02/11/2019 at 17:53

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That feeling when the hair on your arms stands up, the air goes still, everything goes quiet, and you think about the fastest path to the basement, just in case.

Tristan > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 02/11/2019 at 18:16

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It’s that feeling when you k inda want to stay by the big windows and watch this incredible storm, but you kinda want to go to the basement and hide in the bathtub...

I watched the hail pounding down from inside the garage back in 1998 as the Comfrey/St. Peter tornado outbreak began. I could hear the F-4 that would eventually tear through Comfrey ripping through the neighbors’ farm south of us, though at the time I didn’t know that was what I was hearing. It sounded like a low rumbling of a passing truck, but it lingered on for far longer than it would take for a truck to pass by. Nature is awesome and terrifying.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Tristan 02/11/2019 at 19:06

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Oh I remember that storm. That was a bad one. I grew up less than an hour from there. I've gone back and read the Wikipedia article on it recently to see if it was as bad as I remembered. It was.

Tristan > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 02/11/2019 at 19:28

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What town? I'm from the Storden/Westbrook area.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Tristan 02/11/2019 at 20:38

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Small world! I’ve been through Walnut Grove a bunch of times. I'm from Gibbon . Near New Ulm. A bit Northwest of Mankato.

Tristan > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 02/11/2019 at 21:59

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No kidding?! My dad and I always try to go to Keiserhoff when I’m home. I love New Ulm, and I love Schell’s Firebrick and the Schell reboot of Grain Belt. 

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Tristan 02/11/2019 at 22:15

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Ooh that place is great! I love their spaetzels. Schell's brewery and garden is pretty cool too.

Svart Smart, traded in his Smart > Tristan 02/16/2019 at 11:20

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My father is from Winona, and my younger brother now lives in Minneapolis, even though my father left Minnesota long before marrying my mother or having children. I guess I feel a slight familial fondness for Minnesota even though I’m not from there and I don’t like wintry weather.

Tristan > Svart Smart, traded in his Smart 02/16/2019 at 11:47

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That’s how I feel about Alabama. My mom was from there and we took a lot of family vacations there. I've never lived there, but I lived in Northwest Florida!