If you’ve never left where you grew up

[Lasagnafortea]

Why not?

Sort of inspired by another thread.

Did you want to leave but couldn’t, never had the yearning to see more? did you want to stay, are you happy?

Just curious really!

I wanted to leave hometown years ago but DH did not.
Would love to leave even now and DH says now we made mistake not leaving years ago. We have looked for another home in the area we fancy moving to but find the house prices for similar properties a lot more. Also worry that we would not make friends and find it lonely if we take the plunge and move, as we are both older now.

I left for over 10 years, lived abroad then in London for a lot of years. but when it came to settling in my forever home and trying to find somewhere else in the country- "home" ticked all the boxes that I couldn't find anywhere else (and we searched all over trying to find an alternative).. so I'm back, 10 mins from where I first started.

A friend of mine lives beside her parents in the countryside, the nearest village is a few miles away. She went to uni for four years and returned home every weekend, did some work experience for another year and then moved back. Her husband moved to the area, her kids go to the school she went to. I always thought it was quite lovely but as she has grown older (she is now late 40s), she is VERY set in her ways and outlook. Last year she told her now eleven year old that being gay was 'a thing'. I cannot comprehend how closed her mind and indeed her world is. Imo she'd have been far better going into the world and seeing and experiencing life.

I moved back home to the village I grew up after graduating, and found a job in a city about half an hour away. I wouldn't have looked any further afield as I was keen to stay at home and save to buy, instead of wasting money on rent. I met my husband a few years later, who worked in the same city, and we bought a house together close to both of our workplaces. When I fell pregnant with DD1 we didn't want to stay in the city, so we moved to a little village ten minutes from my parents house (and his too). We were keen to develop a close grandchild/grandparent relationship, and they were keen to help with childcare. Our eldest is now at a local school, and our youngest will start soon - I can't see any reason we would move any time soon (if ever). We could probably afford a bigger house elsewhere but our jobs and extended family are both here, and our parents would be devastated.

Same for me. I live overseas and still miss "home" but honestly, after a visit of a couple of days, I'm glad I left and don't quite understand why they've never spread their wings a bit. None of them went to university either, so I've had the "our kid thinks she's better than us" since I got my A-Level results 🤷‍♀️

This is so kind.

We have came back to town I grew up in. I moved away for uni, meet my now DH who grew up 8 miles from me in the local city. Our friends and family are largely all within a 20 miles radius only 1 has moved more than 30 miles away.

Childcare is why we came back here as my mam has DS around school. We recently lived house in the same town and are at the stage that we didn't need to stay here but property prices made it a good move we set a budget that got us a 5 bedroom detached on a nice estate, the same budget 8 miles away would have got us a 3 bedroom Edwardian semi.

I like it!

(I lived elsewhere for uni, and had a gap year, but have always been resident in the same 10 mile radius)

One of the reasons I left my ex was because he never wanted to leave our hometown. I went to University as a mature student in my late twenties He never did and is still very small minded and insular according to a mutual school friend who left for quite a while but returned for a few years to help with elderly parents, she has moved again now. I have moved around quite a bit for work reasons.

I've always lived within a 5 mile radius of the village I was born in. It's a stunning part of the country, my parents both live within 6 miles, and our DD's are all under 10 miles away - 1 is up the road in the same village.

Never wanted nor needed to live elsewhere. It's rural, quiet, and we're only a 15 mile drive from work/really nice town for shopping/socialising.

I turned down a place at Durham uni because my mum was widowed when I was 13 and became dependent on alcohol. I stayed to make sure my two half brothers were ok. Commuted to uni, got a job locally. Irony is that brothers both buggered off and even worse- so did alcoholic mother so now I'm stuck somewhere I didn't particularly want to be because my job is here (not transferable in the slightest) and the kids are all very settled. 🤦🏼‍♀️ I wanted to move away and travel but stupidly chose to stay.

Apart from about 18 months or so spent in the next town (because the rent was far cheaper at the time) I've always lived in the same place. Although in many different houses through that time! I have no desire to leave, mostly because my family are all here or in nearby towns and villages.

I find it curious too, both my husband and I have school friends who never left their small villages/towns, they still have friends from school, their kids go to thr same schools they went to, they eat and drink in the same restaurants/pubs hey did growing up, their parents still round the corner, we on the other hand moved countries three times and settled about 400 miles away.

on one hand I think the sense of comfort and knowing everyone is lovely, on the other it can lead to having quite a small world.

Wouldn’t do if we were all the same,

My family are here and I met my partner here. It's an expensive area to live in though.

I love where I live, love the location, how I can walk into a city centre, short drive or public transport to the seafront. Then then surrounding areas are stunning!
What is even better is that everyone I love is within a 5/10 mile radius.

OP I do leave the area... so no yearning to see more. I do really appreciate the lovely area I live in! And it's affordable!

Few miles from the village i was brought up. I could never leave. Its beautiful.

i work here, found a husband and live in a lovely house. Surrounded by countryside.

i absolutely hate cities. I avoid them at all costs when i can!

I live about 20 minutes from where I grew up.
Met my DH at 18 who was also from where I grew up so both sets of families in the area.
We had kids young and they are both settled in really good schools. My son goes to a SEN school which is brilliant for him and he can stay there until he is in his 20s so we won’t move away because of the kids, families, friends etc.

I may move when the kids grow up.

I also don’t see the point in moving from one area to another for the same shit, different location.

Financially we are doing well and do lots of weekends away and holidays abroad. We went to the US for 23 days this summer. Defiantly not lacking adventure in our lives.

I was born & grew up in a nice enough corner of London. Ended up renting in the same area with DH for many years. We’ve now moved completely out of London, as we were priced out the area. It didn’t feel same-y as it was a tube or a bus ride into one of many other areas. Surprisingly though, I don’t miss it, it becomes a pain, everything being so spread out.

I haven't lived here all my life but nearly of my friends have stayed in the area the were born in. I know people from school who live in the same village they were born in and so do all of their relatives. Some people like where they live so have no need to move.

Born, raised and still living in Liverpool. I've lived in different areas across Merseyside moved back into the area I am from when I was widowed. I had family there who could help with childcare. Later on we supported my Mum to stay at home, which meant I inherited her house and we all shared her savings. That meant that my eldest DD could buy a house in her name solely (they have jointly owned house). It as since got my youngest (24) on the housing ladder. Yes Liverpool has its difficulties, but we have a lot of culture, diversity, leisure, good UNIs (one of which I went to), good training opportunities and good employment in some sectors etc and we are a couple of hours away from Wales/Yorkshire etc with good transport to London and Edinburgh. Manchester airport is thirty minutes away, John Lennon airport is increasing its routes. I'm second generation immigrant on both sides, from countries outside the EU. I didn't fancy getting a passport for either. We are a cheap city to live in, houses are affordable, I have had no reason to move. Some of my cousins have moved for earning and career enhancement.

DH and I grew up in the same town and both our families still live here. We are blessed to be able to wfh meaning no real need to relocate for work, and the houses are more affordable here than in the cities our offices are based. So by staying, we were able to live well on our wages, have good holidays, and make our first home a 'forever home', without the pressure of having to upsize. We looked at moving and financially it didn't make sense.

We also have 2 sets of parents, most of our siblings and other relatives here.

So it never made sense to us to move. However, we often fantasise about how things could've been!

A lot of people I know moved back home for the free childcare from their parents. I went to university and met my husband there and we are from different places so we followed the jobs and love where we ended up.

I've never left other than uni but its more of a logical thing for me: i have a well paying job (nothing wild but above national average) and its not a city so i can afford to buy a house. Its a beautiful place, with great transport links, great food and there's always something going on, plus a gorgeous part of the country. I'd be very open to moving if the opportunity presented itself but right now im doing great here - i travel, i meet loads of different interesting people through work, i have interests that mean im not stuck in the small town mindset. (Which very much does exist, weird old fashioned ideas all the way to hostility to outsiders) however i do meet city dwellers who seem to think all small town people are small minded and stupid too which i find very entertaining.

Simple really it feels like home. DH moved around a lot as a child and has enjoyed staying in one place as an adult.

Bizarre how the only narrow minded views on this thread are from people who have moved around. You do realise that we have been to uni and visited other places right? Maybe open your minds a bit…..