I agree, this website is addictive, validating, comforting, and amazing. I grew up in NYC and moved around the city frequently growing up. Left when I was 21. I’ve lived in the South now for 20 years. I will always be a NYC girl, but have embraced the South, as well. Whenever I return to NY it is like I never left. My husband and I often talk about retiring in NY. But, I think Austin, TX might be the place or maybe Provence? Lived in Gainesville, FL, where we raised our beautiful, intelligent “gypsy” daughter. She inherited the “gypsy” gene. She’s in Israel working on her Master’s in Creative Writing, wants to be a travel writer. And most recently had a story about the Darfur refugees in Israel published in the Jerusalem Post. Yeahh!!! We’ve moved for my husband’s job - Wilmington, NC, Monroe, LA. And for my job - St.Simons Island, GA. It’s funny because I’ve always wanted a house near the beach and have that now. But still get itchy feet. I still want to live in the south of France someday. I picture myself growing old there. With a long, gray braid - sometimes in a bun on top of my head. Don’t know what I’ll be doing exactly, but that’s where I visualize myself in my later years.

Now, I live in Portland, OR, and have for the past four years while my last child attended Reed College. So, now I am what is termed an “empty nester”, and I have downsized dramatically and I am going back to school to finish what I started eons ago at Berkeley at the end of 50 something. But, after marriage, and traveling a lot at one point, I still think of home as my mother’s house in Ojai, CA. A wonderful huge old rambling house, which was online a few weeks ago with pictures. Some things have changed and been updated, but still the same house. So, now I find myself missing the smell of oaks and eucalyptus and the ocean. Even though the beach is only 1-1/2 hours from Portland, it is not the same as hopping in the car and 20 minutes later you are there, with those wide, sunny beaches and long rollers coming in. But, perhaps, I’ll take a note from Susan that you cannot go home again and stay put in green, green (as in trees and as in the new ethos of the city which is sustainability) and friendly Portland. Ahh, but I miss the ocean!

I live in what some might call Rural Applachia. I’ve lived her all my life. In fact, I live beside both my parents and my sister - they are 2-tenths if a mile from me but, we respect one another’s privacy. I love the beauty of WV. Every season is a delight! Of late, I find myself wishing to have the opportunity to relocate, more specifically, to find a new occupation. I’m dissatisfied at work. I’m the Beverage Manager of the wonderful Greenbrier Resort, but feel my work is not appreciated or valued. I love my family dearly and could not bear to move. On the bright side, I drink some of the most fantastic wines of the world! I would love to visit NYC - Liz, your apartment sounds perfect! (Kidding, of course) Question: Can Whoopi mention the website on “The View?”

I was born and raised here. It’s where my husband was born and raised. I live in the house I live in because I can’t find another with a back yard like this one. Inever could live with people in my back yard. Love the flowers, dear, and birds that live here with us. So untill I find another place like this one I’m here.

When we moved into my childhood home, after my Dad died, I told my “kids” - “I was born into this house & I want to be buried from it!” (That way our children will have to do the clean up, not me ;+} It’s always been “home” for me. Why? It’s quite simple. While my husband and I were in the Military, we lived in 7 states and a total of 13 apartments & 1 house, all within 11 years & 4 months!!! I am NOT moving again (IF I can help it!) Most of all, I love the fact that my Dad designed this house / home after a minor fire. He turned our 3 story Victorian into a nice size ranch with lots of light, large rooms, more closet space than I’ll ever need (though we’ve managed to fill most of them), a flagstone fireplace for cold North Eastern winters and power outages, etc. etc. etc. Outside, he built up compost flower gardens, decades before they became fashionable! I’m still transplanting his Daffodils, Iris, Crocus, Lilly of the Valley, and Hydrangea, Peony, and Lilac bushes too - thinning them to give them to family and friends. We have lots to fix-up yet, but have also done lots of work on it, which I know Dad would like. I also love that I can walk to the local Post office, Bank, Pharmacy, Hardware store, Pizza Restaurant, Library, etc. (When I was young, we even had a bakery, and National Grocery store here!) I don’t have to drive everywhere, like some in the suburbs and small towns around here. I’m also less than a mile to the beach, a bike ride or brisk walk away. What more could anyone ask for or need than this? Kathy LPV

I live in Marin county, CA. I live here as when I divorced, my now 8 year old son, was accepted into a “Charter” school that is part of the public school system. It is Waldorf based and amazing. Because he is academically doing fantastic, I stay. The why. Am I rooted? Yes, and no. Like others have said, when asked where are you from, I answer “originally?”. I also have moved many times for work and for spouses work. I am originally from Central New York state. That is Oswego County. “your neck of the woods!” as Al Roker might say. I left there because there were no jobs. Moved from the East Coast to the West coast over 5 times. When married I followed my husband eventually to Vegas! of all places and then we decided to move back to the SF bay area after the arrival of our son. It is the right place for my son, but, I don’t feel rooted here just yet.

Such a great question and such wonderful responses… this is something I’ve pondered often, I always felt a twinge of envy for anyone who felt rooted to a place, those that can say “when I die, sprinkle my ashes over _______”. I suppose it’s due to being born in Cuba, leaving when I was a young child and living in this country I always felt without a place, didn’t feel 100% Cuban and didn’t feel 100% American. I’ve lived in Spain and have spent a lot of time there over the years, and the only time I ever got an inkling of feeling grounded anywhere was on the island of Menorca, but even so… At a time when I am faced with selling my home of 10 years, a place where I thought I would be live for quite a lot longer, I’m filled with wanderlust. If I could feasibly do it I would pack up and go somewhere very far away (New Zealand? Africa? France?, I currently live in Malibu, Ca, by the way, and have been in Southern California forever, though I grew up in Brooklyn). At any rate, what I’m getting at is that I think I am finally in a place where I’m not searching for a place, I feel rooted in myself for the first time ever. I’ve always lived in a place that other people have decided for me, and am in the midst of trying to figure out exactly where I would choose for myself. These posts give me so much food for thought, thanks!

I fell in love with Southern California when I was fifteen. My family had just moved back to the US, landing in Pasadena, CA. after three years in Brussels, Belgium—three years in which I was hugely upset I wasn’t having an Ann-Margaret high school experience. I fell in love with the sunlight, the palm trees, and the ocean. It was and is a magical part of the world. I spent my childhood in New England, and was a fervent Yankee fan, but in one fell swoop, I tossed New England out of my heart. Southern California reigned unchallenged for the next thirty years…even though, I moved back East again, raising my children and following husbands’ career paths. I’ve been back here since 2000. The older I get the more and more importance I attach to living close to my family and friends. But these days, I am dying, itching, screaming to get out! I’ve fallen for Paris. It’s a long story. Or a short one. And I plan to somehow make it work having a place here and a toe there— The trick is to just do it. So…I’m thinking…I’m thinking—

Oooops! I guess I should have read today’s question more carefully. It seems that I left out part of the “why” in my earlier response….. We live 7 to 10 minutes from the beach, downtown or just about anywhere else I might need to go! In some communities of 300K; you just can’t do that! Great weather for most of the year makes it possible to have flowers nearly year-round.

Wonderful comments. I have lived in 17 different places in the last 23 years. Now, Bill and I are in Pasadena, and live in a small pool house, down a long driveway. It’s two rooms, high ceilings, kitchen the size of a postage stamp; mullioned windows that open inward and overlook a patio, incredible landlady. We had house sat in a large condo on Lake Avenue in Pasadena before that, but our friend had to sell after 3 years. I never expected to love Pasadena. It’ s sort of a flat San Francisco, great libraries, great friends, people; meet different people every day; pug dogs live here, people talk to each other and stop on the flat wide sidewalks. It has the reputation of being 2 cities, one wealthy and one poor, and my husband and I are on a racial justice committee, and do other stuff. For some reason, I am always grateful for a roof over my head. My twin was like that also. We didn’t have to worry about money, and even lived in a 12 room house that was an adventure. Still, we live on a low income, but even when it was higher, I always am grateful for my bed at night, a roof over my heads and clean sheets. I have lived in Ukraine and Minsk. We lived in the Soviet Union 1990-1993-before, during and after the coup. We lived in a city Dneperpetrovsk, which we chose because I said, “We can’t spell or remember or pronounce this city’s name,” and at first it was a “beam me up Scotty” experience. It was like entering a world in the 40s after a war, with rubble, empty shelves, no food, and an incomprehensible language. We were the first Americans to live there - there was a small municipal library which saved my life. I offered free English conversation classes and also read every book the library and read every book the library had to offer; It wasn’t easy; we lived simply and met incredible, incredible people. About 8 years ago I went back, and I was taking the trolley past the army tank on Karl Marx avenue, and feeling “at home,” I thought, “boy I’m in trouble.” But the point is I am at home with friends i can communicate with and particularly my husband, and I have often felt I didn’t belong in a particular place. A friend said, “Esther, you belong everywhere,” and that is true. I am particularly adaptable. I value community, people who care, definitely my husband, books, and the ability to be of some service. That’s home to me. As I am older, I hope to stay near a granddaughter and a son, but I never take having anything for granted. One thing about moving around is you meet people you love sooo much, and that wouldn’t have happened unless you had been willing to go through the discomfort.

Honolulu is home. Trade winds carrying the scent of pikaki, ginger, mango and papaya flutter along the edges of my heart. The tones of Alfred Apaka, Palani Vaughn, Marlene Sai, the Brothers Cazimero and Israel Kamakawiwo’ole are sweet reminders of Hawaii’s promise of aloha. No matter where I roam, in whispering dreams my ancestors call my name from across the ocean, always calling me home.

I live in Okinawa, Japan with my husband and two kids. We have been here for almost two years, but are anxiously awaiting until we can return to North Carolina. Neither my husband or I are originally from North Carolina - we are born and raised “yankees” but NC is where we want to settle down once he retires from the military. NC is the best of both worlds - four seasons and yet we can live near the ocean. My husband and I have lived in many different places and yet NC is where we long to be.

I was born in NYC. I still live in NYC, however, I have moved to DC, Michigan and back to NYC. My mother lived in NYC, so I moved back here to be near her and she cared for my children while I worked. She died years ago now, and I still live here. I have been thinking of moving when my husband retires, I just haven’t decided where I’ll move, I like a lot of different places.