Have you ever fallen in love with a place...

[vivacian]

...and if so, did you do anything about it?

Recently I spent a couple of nights at the coast and the best way I can describe it is that my soul fell in love with the place. I’m seriously thinking of upping stocks and moving there. (I am in a bit of a midlife rethink place in general).

Has anyone else ever felt like this and what did you do about it?

Born and bred Londoner. There's nowhere like home, ❤ this city. Been fortunate enough to travel wide and far. Kuala Lumpur and Mumbai are the only cities that have come close for me.

I fell in love with the village I currently live in, but just wasn’t in a position to move here for a lot of years. I still love it 10 years after moving here, and can’t imagine living anywhere else.

Well, apart from Colwyn Bay in North Wales! I have a dream of living out my retirement in a little cottage overlooking the bay. It’s a beautiful view.

Yes, London. I moved there and it's ruined my life because I couldn't afford to stay and I know I'll never be truly happy anywhere else! Nothing brings me the same sense of peace and contentment as being "home" in London. I miss it every day.

@peachgreen

My Dsis moved away from London when she got married and feels the same ☹

@sotired Me too. It's gutting. But it was London or children, and children won out. It was the right decision but still not easy.

Argentina, we are building a house and will retire there one day to be nearer family.

Going by your username @HoldMyLobster are you in Boston/NJ?

Close - I'm in Maine :-)

I would so, so love to live in Maine.... I live on a small island now but it's hot and I want snow!

Living in Maine is a very good way to cure yourself of wanting snow! It's OK till about early March, then it's just horrible till mid-May :-)

I get a feeling of bliss whenever I visit mainland Europe. It's not just the longhaul journey, I've been to North America and didn't feel the same. I'd wager it's about how organic everything feels, and its age.

The hotel I stayed in Innsbruck, Austria (the first place I was properly in love with) was older than my country was known to Europeans!
It's amazing being in a place so old, to think about all the things that happened there through the centuries...

My city (and country!) feels very... boxy in contrast. It's all very square, similar houses in similar streets in similar cities. I lived for a while in the oldest city in the country, and I felt much more comfortable in the historical part than where I actually lived.

I wouldn't want to necessarily live in a historical town (in fact, I think I'd go mad) but I would like to at least be in the same country or even continent, so visiting wouldn't take me half a decade to save for. Being able to nip there for a long weekend would be a dream!

Yes.
Granada, and also the Alpujarras in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.

@HoldMyLobster excellent, when you get bored of the snow we can houseswap for a bit

Etimram/annie - Singapore here too... Am biased I suppose as we have family there (although we also have family in other lovely places vastly different from home and never 'fallen in love' with them)... I can remember some of the 'old' Singapore shop houses from my first visit nearly 50 years ago - and visiting similar shophouses in Chinatown with recently departed DF a few years ago - the air the smells the food the accent the people the flowers - memories of grandma etc ⛩💜

For me I think I belong in the Cotswolds but the Lake District comes a very close second, I holiday in both places often, however I probably have rose tinted spectacles on because I am seeing it through a tourists eyes and obviously don’t have the pressure of running a home, working etc, I am just relaxing and doing exactly what I want when I want and I think that is what gives these places extra sparkle, where I live now most people would love to live but obviously I’m used to it so probably don’t give it the appreciation it deserves.

Would happily live in Singapore.

Being a Brit and now a Canadian citizen, I thought I’d miss being close to the sea. But I’m happiest in the mountains. So much, in fact, that we bought a second home in the Rockies.

Tuscany. I feel it in my bones. The contentment when I'm there and the ache when I leave.

Another one who feels at home in NYC - I just love the easiness, the pace, the people, frenetic energy of it all but its strangely peaceful and reassuring?

Also adore Scotland without a doubt.

Cannot stand permanently sunny, bleached sandy places with glass everywhere. I want old weathered stone and preferably some pine trees please.

Tuscany. I feel it in my bones. The contentment when I'm there and the ache when I leave.

When I arrived in Siena I felt like I'd come home. I actually grew up somewhere a lot like Siena, which is probably why. I love going to Italy on holiday.

HoldMyLobster excellent, when you get bored of the snow we can houseswap for a bit

Yes please!

Kathmandu. The smell and the mystery of the place. I go as often as I can.

The Oregon coast, tempered somewhat by the fact that the whole area is overdue for a catastrophic earthquake/tsunami.

Im from Liverpool and whilst I do love my city I pine for New York on a daily basis and it’s been 21years since I went. I did a summer at Camp America in NY state and travelled a bit but not enough due to being 20 and not having much money.
I feel like I was meant to be there.

Ds (16) is going in February on an A level drama trip with college. I’m actually jealous.

The other place where I felt at home is Cologne in Germany where my late DGM is from.
I had only been when my mum was pregnant with me! But when I actually went in 2004, the one and only time, I felt like I had been there many times before. It’s hard to explain. I intend to take some of DGM’s ashes and scatter them in the River Rhine which she would love.

Scotland the whole country specifically central Scotland. I'm from overseas. I used to visit the UK growing up to see family but only really stayed in London. I came back on my own at 17 for uni in Scotland (my great grandfather is Scottish) but as soon as I landed in Edinburgh and took the train to my uni city I felt like I was home. Honestly I live in the South-East now but my body literally aches for my second home so I visit often. I have never felt such a quiet peace in my soul. I've never experienced anything like it.

Yorkshire. I’ve always felt at home up north, I plan to retire there

Ireland (specifically a beautiful town in county Cork). I went there when I was 16 with my family and I remember on the drive from the airport to where we were staying just being overwhelmed by this feeling of "I've arrived home". I went back solo for a few months aged 17 and again aged 21. Sadly since then, between work, mortgage m, marriage and children, I haven't made it back again but I can't wait to take my children and husband there one day.

I have to say though, reading this thread makes me thankful and fortunate to live in a part of the world that so many folk seem to want to live in (N Scotland).

Oooh SirVixofVixHall, I found a family tree connection with my places too!

First was when picking a uni- 2 offers. Detested the first, although it was the most prestigious. Got off the train at the second and felt at home instantly. Turns out I have great grandparents from here and my family tree goes back til 1600s and records run out.

The second is a tiny hamlet in N Yorkshire. I just felt like I had come home and had a sense of peace that I've never felt anywhere else. Many years later when doing my family tree I come across an unusual surname. Researching the origins I discovered it comes from the exact hillside I stood on.