Homesick

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Permalink Reply by Donny Ozmund on August 23, 2008 at 11:36am

I'm in a similar boat Sheila; I moved here from Ohio almost exactly a year ago. I don't really have any suggestions except long distance telephone calls (but sometimes news from back east makes it worse when you hear about fun/ familiar old things that you're missing out on); also, airfare seems to at least be easing back down a little bit (still way higher fares than even 1 year ago though).

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Permalink Reply by usemoreglue on August 23, 2008 at 11:57am

Okay, okay, so I'm not a transplant but I know that whenever my transplant friends find themselves missing home they just have to recall why they chose to move away from the massive traffic of other regions, (some) attitudes, population density, etc. etc. etc. Try going for a drive/hike through the mountains or foothills. Try driving even half an hour out of the city and relish the fact that all that you can see for miles is pure, pure, desert. Play by the river. Think about the fact that you're less than 5 hours from another country! How crazy is that? $56 will get you a one way to Chihuahua on Los Americanos buses. Crazy!

If it's family/friends you miss, I suppose that's another story. Implore them to visit you? If it's the big city you miss you can take an 8 hour jaunt up to Denver (still very, very short of Pittsburgh) for some urban exploration and a reminder of what real buildings look like. If nothing else helps, wait until winter comes and enjoy the fact that you get SUN most days and don't have to shovel your driveway or even scrape your windshield most mornings.

Green chile roasting should be starting up pretty soon. If the smell of roasting green chile alone doesn't fill you with excitement, hopefully the consuming of it will light up your endorphins like a Christmas tree. A couple months from now you'll wake up to find the sky speckled with ENORMOUS FLYING BALLOONS. Magical? Bizarre? Check. Check.

Good luck with the homesickness. I'm getting homesick just thinking about the day I'll have to force myself to live anywhere else.

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Permalink Reply by sheila on August 23, 2008 at 5:28pm

albuquerque is very magical and bizarre!! i love that.
i haven't thought about going to denver- i think exploring a new city would be fun and fulfill my urban longings!

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Permalink Reply by Doug R on August 23, 2008 at 11:40am

Sheila - I will rewrite this again.....sorry.

My advice - go home to Pittsburgh for a visit. Then you'll be able to compare those feelings to reality. I do it all the time when I come out to ABQ from California. And I find that my memories of ABQ are nothing compared to the charge I get when I'm in town. I always leave wanting to stay and do more.

Now, I've been out to Pittsburgh once. I was doing some business with Sheetz based in Altoona. I will always remember coming through that tunnel from the airport and hitting the river. There was the city layed out in front of you bordering those unbelievably large rivers. Nothing like the Rio Grande.

The drive to Altoona was spectacular - rolling hills, green and trees. I would love to go back and spend more time in that part of the state again.

But for me my heart will always reside in the middle Rio Grande Valley where I was raised. There is something about driving down central and being able to see Mt. Taylor in the distance. I love watching the Sandias change their mood during the day. Being able to see if there is snow on the Sangres and wondering if it's time for a trip up the Turquoise trail...... it's something that's in my DNA.

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Permalink Reply by sheila on August 23, 2008 at 5:26pm

what's interesting is that pittsburgh and albuquerque are really similar, in that they both have a smaller town feel- there's something very familiar and comforting about both cities. and of course, both cities are beautiful, in very different ways. i really like your suggestion to go back to pgh now that i am settled here.

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Permalink Reply by Iberostar on August 23, 2008 at 12:01pm

I read the local paper online. I moved from Northern California and I miss Tahoe and San Francisco - I lived in Rescue, CA. So when I feel blue - I go online to the San Francisco Chronicle and the Sacramento Bee and read all about what is going on. It makes me feel better. I still get really homesick for the fresh veggies and political protests. Good luck - I grew up near Lancaster, PA - never got over to Pittsburgh.

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Permalink Reply by Jessica on August 23, 2008 at 2:40pm

I was a transplant nearly 6 years ago and I feel your pain. Came here not knowing a soul! I think for me it was about getting out doing as many local things as possible to really understand the potential for this place to truly be home. But I did and still do keep in frequent contact with family back home, and that helps. Having had a few trips back since then, I've realized it's not quite the same, and I never find myself longing to go back to live there anymore.

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Permalink Reply by sheila on August 23, 2008 at 5:24pm

i was overjoyed when i finally went to a library here. . . libraries feel like home!

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Permalink Reply by Jenny Marie on August 24, 2008 at 1:24pm

Robin, I agree! I would join a transplant group, and I'd love to help plan activities. And Sheila, my most recent booster was hiking the Crest Trail. Easy hike from the parking lot atop the Sandias to the tramway, and it was through dense forests that feel *nothing* like New Mexico. Next weekend we're escaping to go camping in the Jemez. All of that helps me. But I suppose that makes sense, since I moved out here to adventure and explore the SW I get most antsy and homesick when I find I've sat around the past few weekends and haven't left Abq. Hope you found a way to get out and have fun this weekend :)

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Permalink Reply by sheila on August 23, 2008 at 5:23pm

thanks for all the support!!! you all are great <3
i've been trying to focus on all the stuff i love about abq. . . the mountains, the bosque trail, the food. . . there is so much great stuff here, and i'm glad my life is here now. i guess there is always just that feeling of nostalgia, whether you are in the same state you were born in or a totally different one. one thing i really miss is the punk scene in pittsburgh. it's hard to meet people. . . it's nice knowing there are cool people through this board!

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Permalink Reply by ScottyLew on August 24, 2008 at 2:34pm

I too know how you feel. I have been in Albuquerque for just under a year, but find my mind wandering back to the Oregon Coast even though I am quite happy here. Some things that I do to keep feelings of homesickness away are looking at my hometown newspapers online, and talking to friends and family as frequently as I can. The thing that has helped the most is just exploring Burque as best as I can, finding comfortable places with the type of people I like to be around. Finding that hole-in-the-wall restraunt, a good watering hole, a new hiking trail and local music.

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Permalink Reply by sheila on August 25, 2008 at 12:13pm

thank you! i feel the same way- i'm happy here, just get really homesick sometimes! i think i'm going to start writing more letters, calling, etc.

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