Ever feel like you don't belong where you are?

daisiegg

Yep. It is California for me. Doubt I will ever live there but will continue to visit as much as possible

BritAbroad

I think the feeling of belonging is much more about the people in your life and whether you feel fulfilled with what you're doing, rather than about a place. i think if you have a good mix of positive relationships and feel motivated and stimulated that goes a long way towards making a person feel they belong somewhere.

In my experience when you move abroad your problems move with you and can be compounded because you've left your support system behind. And with respect to the OP, summer camp is vastly different from real life in the US. Three months in, you're still at the 'everything's a novelty' stage. It's new, it's exciting, it's challenging and it's fun.

It's less fun when you can't get a job and when you're told your qualifications are meaningless because they're from overseas. It's incredibly lonely when you can't make friends. It's frustrating when you can't buy a car or get a mortgage because as far as the American financial system is concerned you only start to exist two weeks after you get off the plane. It's extremely stressful when something goes horribly wrong and you find you have to deal with and the practicalities alone and also find your medical insurance won't pay for everything.

Do I regret moving to America? No, but the downsides are all too real and I've personally experienced all those I've listed. I've never felt I belonged anywhere, either in the UK or the US. However, in the UK at least I had family and friends in the same time zone, had an interesting job where I felt motivated and valued (both in work and in every day life) and in my view those things go a very long way to making you feel a part of things.

Georgiegirl256

For me it's Las Vegas. It's not just the flashy lights of the Strip, there's so much more to it than that. I love the climate and everything about it, and when I step off that plane, I feel right at home, and am sad when we have to leave.

I don't think I could ever move there for good, BritAbroad makes some very good points above. It's not as easy as some people think, but the OP has got youth on her side, that's one good thing.

I wouldn't mind a holiday home there though and maybe live there for part of the year, that would be good.

Cottage_Economy

Puglia, Italy. Specifically Cisternino. No where else I've been to makes me feel at home like this place does. A few generations back my family came from the Amalfi coast region, but that isn't that close to Puglia.

Just hate the way Italian men treat women and I know I won't get on there long-term because of it, so I will just have to love it from afar.

DKLS

I always thought it would have been Australia for me, I booked a 3 month trip but for me it was a massive let down and I left after 3 weeks to go to Thailand and Vietnam, where I instantly felt at home. I have been back to Oz with work on a number of occasions and still don't like it and now do my level best to get out of any Oz trips.

peachyprice

BritAbroad wrote: »

I think the feeling of belonging is much more about the people in your life and whether you feel fulfilled with what you're doing, rather than about a place. i think if you have a good mix of positive relationships and feel motivated and stimulated that goes a long way towards making a person feel they belong somewhere.
.

I don't agree with that at all, I have wonderful people in my life, and am pretty happy with my.

However, whenever I go to Italy everything just reels 'right' and I feel instantly at home. The culture, the people, the language, everything just feels natural and effortless. I've spent a lot of time there by myself, with family, with friends, for leisure, for business, each and every time I've fallen in love a little more.

Maybe it helps that I look more Italian than English and that I learned Italian in Italy so I sound more so, but I seem to be able to just slot into life there, accepted.

fufu_banterwaite

peachyprice wrote: »

However, whenever I go to Italy everything just reels 'right' and I feel instantly at home. The culture, the people, the language, everything just feels natural and effortless. I've spent a lot of time there by myself, with family, with friends, for leisure, for business, each and every time I've fallen in love a little more.

But a lot of people here are saying this about places they have been on holiday, or visited for a short while, rather than places they have actually lived.

When I travelled I went to Australia and when I arrived I loved it and thought what an amazing country. When I went back and worked there for six months a little while later I gradually realised it wasn’t all it cracked up to be and I preferred England.

amberfinn53

I see what everyone is saying, I understand a holiday or short visit is always seen through rose tinted glasses as such.

I do have first hand of the experience of the differences between the health care systems, after ending up and in hospital and then receiving a nice four figure sum, I get it, they are poles apart! Pretty much most things are different there, health, schools, laws etc etc. I will work this out in time, this whole America thing is kind of a life plan, it will take a few years of working out, fitting the pieces together, that's if they do fit, and creating a realistic way to be out there that suits me.

I am loving reading everyone's responses and views on where they feel is home

Bluebell1000

Yes, not quite so far-flung as some of the posters on here though. I've simply moved 2 hours drive away from where I grew up, because as soon as I saw the area I knew it felt like 'home'.

jumperjohn

I had the 'not belonging' feeling most of my life. I grew up in North Lincolnshire and then South Yorkshire for a few years. I have always had the feeling that I should be living in the south of the UK. I recently moved south of Oxford and I know this is where I belong even though I have no ties here, memories, friends, family etc.