Newcastle 365: Week 23

When I was a kid, we moved a lot. My dad is a mechanical designer, which is apparently a field with a lot of variance. As market demands changed, we’d find ourselves packing up and moving again and again and again. In many respects, it was great. I got to experience a lot of different cultures made friends all over the US and Canada. As an adult, I’ve kind of continued that habit, and I find myself moving every couple of years–if not months. At last count, I have lived in

  • Alberta
  • Ontario (Coldwater and Orillia)
  • New York (Rochester, Perry, and Saranac Lake)
  • Georgia (Douglasville, Austell, and Savannah)
  • Michigan (Port Huron and Marysville)
  • Utah
  • Idaho (Kuna and Meridian)
  • South Carolina
  • North Carolina
  • Tennessee
  • Louisiana
  • New Mexico (5 times)
  • Colorado
  • England

But as fun as it has been, I’ve discovered in recent years that I don’t really have one place that I call home. I’ve enjoyed every place that I’ve lived (except for that one place, but I’m not going to tell you which one it is…), but I don’t pine for many places. In fact, until recently, there were only two places that held such a special place in my heart that I actually felt homesick for them–like, literal-physical-ache-in-the-heart-that-nothing-can-relieve kind of homesick. Those places were the cabin my grandparents built in Ontario, Canada, and Philmont.

And then I came to Newcastle. I knew I’d love it because HELLO, ENGLAND, but I definitely didn’t expect to love it this much. I’ve never considered myself a city girl–crowds and noise and a general lack of critters and lots of streets for my directionally-challenged brain to confuse? No thank you. But there is certainly something to be said for the life and character of a city, and I do think I could live here indefinitely and be quite happy about it.

And when I think of the places I love–I mean, truly, madly, deeply love–Newcastle has earned itself a permanent spot on the list.

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Jess Friedman
Jess is a Canadian-American who’s always ready for the next adventure. She loves all things living, always has a million creative projects in progress, and polishes her nerd badge daily. She is passionate about helping families make and preserve treasured memories that strengthen bonds across generations. You can read more posts by Jess here.

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