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Original poster

Does anyone feel a really strong connection with a place they don't live or haven't been to?

119 replies

ToooOldForThis · 16/09/2022 23:20

I have this, and when I went there it felt so familiar and "right". It's not where I live, and probably never could live, but I feel like i belong there! (Completely different country. And continent!) I'm fully aware I'm probably influenced by books, TV etc but I've just never been able to shake this feeling!

OP posts:
Pen89ox · 17/09/2022 21:37

I have only been to Dublin twice and loved every minute of it in a way I’ve never felt before. I’m from a big city in the UK, visited multiple cities in the UK and across other countries but never felt like I do in Dublin.

A few years later I did a DNA test and I’m 42% Irish! One of my parents is adopted so we had no idea, ends up I’m more Irish than British, so maybe that had something to do with it! Or maybe I just loved the city, I don’t know, it’s cool though.

Marie2022 · 17/09/2022 21:37

Singapore or Cayman Islands. I feel inexplicably drawn to both. I wish I could convince DH to move.

Bloodybridget · 17/09/2022 21:37

Chakraleaf · 17/09/2022 14:10

Yes me too. Very odd.

Show quote history

I have felt this too! I spent times as a kibbutz volunteer when I was young, picked up a fair amount of Hebrew, love traditional Jewish music. There is a family rumour that my father's "unknown" father may have been Jewish.

TheFlis12345 · 17/09/2022 21:42

A certain place in the US . The minute I got there it felt weirdly like home. A close friend there who is very spiritual swears I must have lived there in a former life as I am so connected to it all.

LucyLastik · 17/09/2022 21:43

Mine is Berlin.

Currently learning German so I can eventually move there.

DoItAfraid · 17/09/2022 21:49

CoatyWonder · 17/09/2022 11:47

Another one saying America.

But also...Africa, and I know it's a huge continent but I don't know anything about its countries. I just have this sense though sometimes, just before twilight, looking at the sky I get this yearning for Africa. Also when I hear some music.

Dont know why, I've never been and I have zero African ancestry. It's weird.

Love this! (Am African so a tad biased!) @CoatyWonder

HerRoyalNotness · 17/09/2022 21:55

Yes. When I went to Scotland I felt like I was home. A few years later I lived in England (not English) and every trip I took across the border I just felt relaxed. I asked H if he’d move there and he turned his nose up 😞

thinking about it over the years I think it’s because that’s where my ancestors are from and it felt comfortable and familiar, never felt like that when I lived in England.

MovedtoUk · 17/09/2022 21:56

Since I was early teen I’ve been drawn to England and always thought I should live in the UK. I used to read English books and the UK teen mags if I was lucky enough to find one in our news agent. Used to watch BBC etc
then we went on a school trip to London, Oasis era and absolutely loved it and felt UK was home
then one day In my early twenties randomly met a Brit on holiday in my country, hit it off and I moved to UK and now married with two kids. Never regretted it one day and feel I was destined to live in UK

KohlaParasaurus · 17/09/2022 21:58

One of my daughters did. She visited a couple of times in her teens and loved it. She didn't get into the university there, went to university in a different city, found it a struggle and dropped out after the first year. She then took a year out and applied for a different course in her happy place. She's been there for five years now and loves it. As far as I know she had no reason to feel a particular pull towards that place, and those of her siblings who have visited her don't like it at all. I do, I could live there quite happily, but it's as if my daughter was born with the place in her bones.

threegoodthings · 17/09/2022 22:00

NYC. Have only been once but quite obsessed before and since. Particularly feel an affinity to late 70s/early 80s NYC and seek out films from that period, look at photos etc.

DoItAfraid · 17/09/2022 22:05

Mine is the Caribbean - I always say it’s like a great miscarriage of justice as I was / am meant to live there :-)

tunainatin · 17/09/2022 22:07

I have this feeling about a specific style of house, very different from the lovely country cottage i grew up in. When i see them, i feel tearful and like im yearning for it, its so strange. I now live in a very modest version of that type of house and ive never felt so at home!

MyOwnPrivateGardenHoe · 17/09/2022 22:10

Yes, to a small village in western Ireland.
my paternal Great Grandfather came to England from there and many generations before him are there, and judging by their local Facebook page I have a few distant relatives too as there are several with my very uncommon maiden name.

I feel drawn to the entire coast, Galway, Roscommon etc. I’ve never been but I shall one day!

PollyCreo · 17/09/2022 22:10

I always wanted to live on an island in the Mediterranean. It was my dream to wake up in the morning, pull back the curtains and see the sparkling Med.

20 years ago I did it, moved to that island. Every single morning I see the sea and every evening I watch the beautiful sunset. I swim in that sea and never get bored of it, it's truly amazing.

Original poster
ToooOldForThis · 17/09/2022 22:19

@PollyCreo that's just lovely! So glad there's some of us in their rightful places!

OP posts:
PollyCreo · 17/09/2022 22:32

ToooOldForThis · 17/09/2022 22:19

@PollyCreo that's just lovely! So glad there's some of us in their rightful places!

Thank you! Sometimes people ask me if I ever think about 'coming home' and I just look at them in horror. This is my rightful place as you put it and I'm staying here forever except in July when the heat is so bad I want to emigrate to Alaska

Backthetruckup · 17/09/2022 22:40

Bloodybridget · 17/09/2022 21:37

I have felt this too! I spent times as a kibbutz volunteer when I was young, picked up a fair amount of Hebrew, love traditional Jewish music. There is a family rumour that my father's "unknown" father may have been Jewish.

Show quote history

And me! No Jewish heritage as far as I know. I listen to the traditional music and would dearly love to live in Jerusalem.

Backthetruckup · 17/09/2022 22:44

Also strongly feel like I was born in completely the wrong time period.

LaurieFairyCake · 17/09/2022 23:04

I've definitely lived in France in a past life

I can't speak French in this life at all - I mean I'm REALLY shit at it but I have dreams where I'm speaking French

A bit like that episode of Friends where Joey is 'speaking' it GrinGrinGrin

shreddednips · 17/09/2022 23:10

My parents drove through a little village, other side of the country from where they live, and had a really strong feeling like that about it. Stopped to look in the graveyard (mum likes an old church) and found several relatives from generations ago buried there. My grandfather's mother had a really unusual maiden name that matched the names on these graves and lo and behold, turned out they were related to us after much research. They live there now 😁

CatrinVennastin · 17/09/2022 23:11

For me it’s Orkney. I have never been there but I know if I went I wouldn’t want to leave.

I am Scottish but live in England about as far south as you can get!

I tentatively said to DH we could go to Orkney for my 50th birthday but covid got in the way!

coodawoodashooda · 17/09/2022 23:12

I kind of understand op.

Violinist64 · 17/09/2022 23:22

TightDiamondShoes · 17/09/2022 13:44

Patagonian Chile. Even started teaching myself Spanish. Would’ve gone if it weren’t for the blasted dog (pre-kids).

You’d be better off learning Welsh as, believe it or not, they speak Welsh in Patagonia.

Sunshineboo · 17/09/2022 23:23

@Openup me too! am
convinced that I should be Jewish. It's really
hard to explain and i have spent 40 odd years not daring to say that out loud!!!

YourLipsMyLipsApocalypse · 17/09/2022 23:26

Enjoysomerum · 17/09/2022 11:39

I feel like I would really suit Scotland. I've never been but have Scottish ancestry. I wish I could move there! Perhaps I would stick out too much though with my very non-Scottish accent.

Yeah, us insular Scots have never got to meet a foreigner before, we wouldn't know what to make of you. Too busy trying to catch the haggis running aboot.