Did anyone else leave their home region but later decide to come home?

[zycll]

I moved away for uni when I was 18 to the South. I’ve been in London about 9 years now. Home for Christmas (Scottish borders).

For the first time I am starting to get a pang that maybe I should move home. One so I can be closer to family but two for a better quality of life.

Has anyone ‘moved home’ and not regretted it or felt like a ‘failure’?

I’ve dallied many times about moving home, but what stops me is people saying that it’s not the same place, and I can see that.
I left over 30 years ago, and the people that made it home aren’t there any more, none of them. Plus I’ve been told, and I can see, that you can’t go back, it’s not the same, and I know deep down that I live in a better house than I could get there, and in a much nicer area. So I live with the thoughts of how it used to be, and see that it’s not that way any more.
But if your family/friends are still there and you’re thinking of having children so need support, I’d say go for it.

The idea persists in Scotland, that to move away denotes success. I think it obviously comes from historical clearances , moves to America and Canada etc . It's always implied that to go from home is a jump in status, a measure of success. How sad for our wee country!😢
(It's probably the same in many other countries but obviously I have no experience of that)
I did go away to Uni, travelled and returned at 31(?). I met my partner and settled quickly.
I had enough of being a stranger in my family . I was actually now the " visiting Aunt" . I hated that as we were all very close growing up.
Thing I learned from living in different places.... same shit , different backdrop! 😂
If it feels time, then come home 🏡 it's not a failure. Scotland is fantastic!

I went to uni 4 hours drive away in a city. I stayed up there after graduating. I got married and had my family.

My mum's unexpected death back in my home town meant I was doing a lot of commuting. I kept seeing old friends and enjoying the difference in lifestyle in a town. I reflected and realised that life in the city wasn't what I wanted anymore, so I moved back to my home town after 15 years. The children were 9 & 7.

I've been back here over 10 years and haven't regretted moving home once. I'm so glad I did.

Yes! I've lived in London and the south coast and now I'm back in my home town, and I love the sense of grounding and history that it gives me, although most of my close friends are people who moved here from elsewhere and I have no family here now since my mum died. It was a small market town when I grew up, but now has become more fashionable and there's a lot going on culturally and lots of shops and cafes, so that makes a difference I think.

I am mid 50s and moved back home 2 years ago. Well not actually right home as didn’t want to be back in a city so am 20 miles away with a load of other people who have moved out of the city. My plumber here lived in the same road I did at one point and a relative of my Dad’s neighbour is a couple of roads away.

It has worked really well and I am much happier. I do miss the friends I made in other place as was there for 20 years but finding people are gradually moving away anyway though most will stay.

I have a huge sense of ‘being home’ and love it. Have made new friends who are lovely and it has been a really positive move for me. I am sad I didn’t manage to do in whilst my Dad was alive, we had tried but for various reasons didn’t manage before.

I moved abroad, but came back. Went away again (somewhere different) and came back again. I'm now settled back close to where I began.

I think it's natural to want to return to your roots. This place is not as beautiful as other places I have lived, the job is not as exciting, people have moved on and the place has changed but it feels like home and that matters. I have found some wonderful old friends again, and made some new ones but more importantly, my family is here.

I did, my parents moved from London to coastal Norfolk when I was a child, I galavanted about abit around the country but when I started a family I moved back to Norfolk. I live in walking distance of the beach and don't think I could ever really live away from it again being 11 doors away from my parents helped no end with childcare or even just the odd bottle of Calpol when required.

I grew up in London then moved away for uni, and continued living in my uni city for 3 years. I moved back home when I had a child, so I could be closer to family. I'm happy I made the move, being in London opened up a lot of opportunities and having the support of family was valuable. I didn't have any contact with old friends though tbh, I've always tended to drift away from friends once I don't see them regularly.

I don't quite feel I've returned to my roots as I ended up moving to a different London borough from where I grew up, and now I live in another borough. And London is dynamic and the streets where I grew up have changed dramatically in any case.

I moved back to Scotland in my early 30s after living away (in England and abroad) for a decade. Best decision I ever made.

I loved after graduation down to south east where I did my year out , stayed 8 year and bought a little cottage but combo of an abusive relationship , start of health issues and the fact I had a new niece meant I sold up and moved back and haven’t regretted it a second.

I've lived all over the country. I moved back to my home area ten years ago, and I won't be leaving for a while. I would love to move to Scotland, but my mum is getting on a bit and I will not move away again because I want to be around to care for her.

Can I ask why?

I am similar in that I’ve been away nearly a decade now and reaching early thirties - wondering if I should go back or not.

I wish I could move back to my home area but I can't afford it. I wish so much that I lived near my friends and family. It makes me really sad. I've got zero chance of ever being able to afford it. The equivalent house costs 2 to 3 times what my house is worth.

For me, being closer to my family is the main reason. I have three small nieces and I can't imagine only seeing them a couple of times a year or whatever. I was worried about career opportunities but I have a good job and a nice house. I just have a better quality of life overall.

There is no way I am moving back to Croydon.
I left in 1980, and the town centre has changed beyond all recognition.

Home Counties in origin. Have been back for various reasons, but wouldn't want to live there now. Too many people, too busy, too much traffic - just too much really. I suspect it's different for Scots though. My one Scottish friend moved back and is thriving.

I have dual nationality and am planning to move to my 'other' country when my current responsibilities are done.