Jan Alaska

Home is here and now. After 22 years with the Navy and then a move to the States home is where I happen to be living. I've spent 3/4 of my life away from Oxford so I really couldn't call that home anyways.
The kids have all grown and flown the nest 3 live in the UK 1 in Eire and 1 in Michigan, they know where to find me, they know how to contact me if they need me and none of them need me living on their doorsteps.

Emma M

I lived in the US for 10 months in 2008. I've been back here (UK) since, and I still regard the US as "home"! I can't call the UK home anymore. No idea what happened, I think it just got under my skin

toopie28

Both - here (CA) and there (Scotland).
When I'm here I miss things from back home (food, people, Marks & Sparks...) and when I'm over there I miss things from home here (normal sized cars, larger parking spaces, weather...)

WEBlue

Yeah . . . countries can do that, can't they? Especially when we're young, but maybe at any stage of life.

My kids grew up in several countries, & they say they have the hardest time answering the often casually asked question, "So where's home for you?"

Englishtart

It's not easy when your kids are in different Countries, although sometimes you get to see more of them that way, than ones that live closeby

I'm really not sure that I would feel 'settled' anywhere now, i'm pretty sure that if we moved back (or even visited) to the UK now, we would more than likely be disappointed, I have great memories of our last trip there and I don't believe the reality would be anything like those memories.

When Jay gets home from this last deployment, we plan on putting our 'nomad' dream of fulltime RVers into action, hopefuly this time next year, home will be where ever the road takes us

SultanOfSwing

That's not a half bad idea, that. If you have the means to do it, I imagine the ability to just take off and go anywhere in the US on a whim would be rather nice

Nutmegger

Something I've always wanted to do! But now, as the time grows close to put dreams into action, I have two dogs who absolutely hate to ride in a vehicle, after years of dogs who wanted to drive everywhere!

Good luck with your plans!

Englishtart

Well, we are 'hoping' to have the means to do it That is really why Jay decided to take this deployment (he could have passed it up) The extra pay should help us to be debt free, Jay has his military retirement and if needed, we can do some casual work along the way. There is a whole forum on the web for "Workcamping', most of the RV parks offer full hook ups for 'help' in running the park during the season, usually for around 20 hours a week, not bad when a full hook up can cost between $300-$600 a month A lot of them will pay an hourly wage too for extra hours when busy.



That's too bad, due to recent circumstances we had to find a new home for our bassset "bo" and our cat Sox is staying with a family back in SC that really want to keep him He will have been with them almost 4 months by the time I get home, so it may be best just to leave him where he is obviously settled. Animals are a big responsibility and have big impacts on our 'freedom' to just up and go, I doubt that we will ever take on that responsibility again, I miss Bo like crazy, but I get regular emails/pictures and I know he is very happy and loved in his new home.

SultanOfSwing

I shall keep my fingers crossed for you too, then. With the proviso that if you do get it all worked out, you post plenty of photos of your travels for us to see ...

Jerseygirl

We have a similar plan. For the next few years spend 6 months of the year in Canada...the remaining 6 months travelling both within the US and outside.

Englishtart

You got yourself a deal

Now, if you hear of anyone that wants to buy a 4bed/2bath ranch in Mascoutah IL, you will let me know huh?

SultanOfSwing

I'll let you know if I find someone who has heard of Mascoutah, IL first

That has to be downstate somewhere. St. Louis direction, maybe? Quite a way from my little corner of the state anyway, I'll wager ...

MadRad

Like some other folk I'm caught in the 'not sure' camp at the moment. Scotland and the US are both home and neither are home at the same time! Until Christmas, I would have definitely said Scotland was home, but the rose-tinted specs fell off on that trip.

TBH, I don't think I ever felt like I was at home back in Scotland anyway. The town where I spent my first 22 years never felt like home. I was there at Christmas visiting a friend one day and it felt weird to be back. I guess I've never felt settled anywhere.

robin1234

As for me, I don't think of any particular town or locality in England as home.. but I feel strongly about the whole country of England as Home. I'm beginning to see why people of my grandparents & earlier generations, coming "Home" from a lifetime in the colonies or India, would settle in places like Bexhill-on-Sea or Torquay. You are never going to feel like a local anyplace, at that stage of life.

Sally Redux

Yes good point. I fancy somewhere like that.