Hometowns are full of memories, friends, family, and perhaps an old version of yourself. You may find that returning home is like going to another world. Everything seems to be different: your friends, your vocabulary, your habits, and even your feelings.
A feeling seems to come over you when you return to your hometown, which I have nicknamed the "Hometown Effect." You may feel like you are moving backwards because you have started a new life elsewhere, but I believe it is a step to the side, not a step backwards.
Visiting home is an exciting time of reconnecting with friends and family, eating at your favorite restaurants, and spending time in your childhood bedroom. You are transported back to a time where things were simple and easy. Your only worries were what time volleyball practice was or what algebra homework was due the next day. Returning home allows you to escape from all of the exams, bills, and work that are now your daily life.
Although you are returning to some of your old ways, being gone for longer periods of time brings a whole new perspective to your hometown. The hangout spots you had grown tired of by senior year are now something you look forward to visiting when you are in town. It almost seems like you can't get to all the places you have been missing.
There is never enough time to see everyone you would like to, but you try your best. It may result in over-committing to plans that just don't end up happening. Breakfast with a classmate, lunch with your childhood best friend, and then dinner with your grandma, there just isn't enough time in the day to fit what you need in. If your lucky your visit will fall during a special occasion that brings everyone together, giving you the opportunity to see all of your friends at once.
After a few days of reminiscing and hanging out with old friends, you begin to miss your new life, friends, and environment. It's not that you don't love being home, you just have a new chapter of your life started that has become the focus at this point. After spending the back half of your life in one town, you are aching to be in a new place, but have that comfort of visiting your old 'home.'
Missing your hometown does not mean you are taking a step back in your life; you are simply taking a break from your current chapter and re-reading a previous one. Taking the time to remind yourself where you came from, how you became the person you are, and who helped you get to where you are is a great way to keep yourself grounded as you move forward in your life.
