Comments on: more answers: on going home again

By: Kim B.

Kim B. — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:20:13 +0000

Home for me is small-town Oklahoma, so it would be . . .the house where I grew up, my grandparents’ old house, the golf course/airport runway/site for oil pumping jacks at sunset . . . Crybaby Bridge out in the boonies (oooh, scary). . . the park where we used to have cheerleading practice in the summer, the baseball fields where I first held a boy’s hand . . .my old church, the cemetery across from our old neighborhood where we used to spend entire days playing (!!) . . .the dirt road I used to drive down once a week in my Dad’s F-150 to get to my piano lessons . . .my uncle’s drug store . . . then I would drive out north of town crossing into Osage country and just show off the big blue skies and rolling hills, and maybe head to the Tallgrass Prairie Reserve.

I’ve had the pleasure of showing my Italian husband home; the first time we went, in August 2006 before heading off on a half-cross-country drive (i.e. Oklahoma to L.A. on basically old Route 66), he wanted to know what in the WORLD we would do at my parents’ home (because he knew it was small town). I said silly, it’s August, we’ll spend all our time next door at Aunt Carol’s pool! And visiting Grandma, and jumping on the trampoline with my cousin’s kids . ..

By the morning we left for Santa Fe, he was drinking his coffee standing at the stove in my parents’ kitchen, looking out and down below the bluff to the Arkansas River below, and said, “It’s a shame we’re leaving already. It’s very relaxing here.”

I even got him to listen to country music!!!

I love that you love so much where you’re from, Michelle. I enjoy ‘the world’ so much, but I still take great pleasure in being from someplace ‘unique’ and special. I get the feeling the same is true for you.

Kim B.’s last blog post..A Happy Day in the Barbee Family

Absolutely Kim! No matter where I go, I always know where I’m from–as much as I wanted to get the heck out of there when I was a teenager! And truth be told, I’m not sure I’d want to *live* there again, but it sure is nice to have those memories and a place to visit Thanks for sharing your hometown tour!

By: Dana

Dana — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:25:28 +0000

“so he’s got that going for him, which is nice.”

I laughed out loud when I read that. Michele, was that an intentional Caddyshack quote???

As for a visit to my hometown, I was born in Metuchen, New Jersey, but moved to San Diego when I was five, so I consider that my hometown.

A visit to Balboa Park is at the top of the list; a drive down the 101 along the ocean; Little Italy (of course) to my favorite coffee bar and farmer’s market, down to the bay; The Whaley House in Old Town, driving over the water to Coronado; the Marston House for arts and crafts architecture, 5th street in Hillcrest or Adams Avenue for the bookstores, just for starters.

Caddyshack is one of *the* most quotable films of all time, IMHO. Don’t get me started on the Dalai Lama….

And I’m loving that tour of San Diego; sounds so lovely!

By: Scicchi

Scicchi — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:40:33 +0000

Great tour of your old stomping grounds, Michelle!

Now knowing P and where he has grown up, what do you think his impression would be of your hometown?

Great question! When P and I were first getting to know one another, I think he just assumed that I was *from* Philadelphia since that’s where I had lived for five years before moving here. And, well, we know *that’s* not the case at all. From my experience, a lot of Italians have the impression that America is all cities, actually, so it took little stories here and there for P to understand just how small-town everything is where I (we!) grew up and that it’s actually quite similar to here.

I really think he’d feel right at home in the Coal Region other than the language…heck, he could even get suppresata and such If only more of the older generation was still around to speak Calabrese with him!

By: anno

anno — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 22:24:01 +0000

Oh, I enjoyed this tour, too! I hope you get to share it with P. someday. (And I'd love to hear your translations...) anno's last blog post..And Another Monday Meme-ing... Heh, me too!

By: Di

Di — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:36:41 +0000

Some mornings I lie in bed and talk my Belgian around the South Island of New Zealand. It’s about 700kms long and 200kms wide … I used to love going on a ‘bit of drive’ with friends and overseas guests. There’s so much to see, he’s heard it all.

Thankfully he’s perfect in English because I’m hopeless in Dutch and because they all speak English (or so it seems) here on the Flanders side of Belgium, I’m getting away with not being a good student of language. I have been learning Italiano quietly … best I don’t tell anyone here though

Ooh sounds like a lovely way to pass a morning…and great job on the Italian!

By: Frances

Frances — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:04:09 +0000

My whole comment got lost.

So here we go again:

Your hometown sounds lovely – I’d like to visit myself.

Can hear that house creaking here in New York

Frances’s last blog post..random New York window

Oh no Frances! So sorry about the lost comment, but thanks for coming back and listening to the creaking house

By: Wanderlust Scarlett

Wanderlust Scarlett — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:08:07 +0000

*SNIFF*
You made me all sentimental and misty eyed.

All of those places and moments are still strong in your heart and mind. I love that. Hold them dear. And, if you tell P all about them, then he will be there with you in those times and places, too.

XO
Scarlett & Viaggiatore

Wanderlust Scarlett’s last blog post..Showers, Surprises and Suppositions

Goodness I remember these things like I just went to the bar/candy store yesterday…I’m so happy to have recorded them just in case I stop remembering the smell of that place

By: Italiamissima

Italiamissima — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:13:52 +0000

I used to dream about the opposite…taking my American boyfriend to visit all the places in Italia that I loved as a child. The cemetary so he could “meet” my nonno and all the relatives that passed before he could visit Italy. Il Calimero – the beach stablimento where I used to spend countless hours every summer hanging out with my friends. The crab apple tree that my cousin and I used to pick apples from to use in our famous “mud pies.” The church where my parents got married.

None of my boyfriends ever made it to Italy with me except for my now husband. He has been twice and both times have been filled with nostalgic trips down memory lane. Now if he would only learn to speak Italiano!!!

Italiamissima’s last blog post..Rocking and Rolling

So lovely! I love hearing childhood memories no matter where they’re from

By: jen of a2eatwrite

jen of a2eatwrite — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:57:07 +0000

My neighborhood is basically demolished – almost nothing of what I grew up with is still there. It was a victim of Urban Renewal in the late 70s/early 80s.

I could show them where we used to play hide and seek in various exhibits in the Natural History Museum back when admission was free, where I used to go in Central Park, what various businesses “used” to be, the outside of buildings where I went to school (one is now an office building and the other is a minimum security prison).

That’s about it…

jen of a2eatwrite’s last blog post..This Man has Class with a Capital “C”

Oh that’s too bad Jen, but at least you have those memories, which I imagine are extra-special since the places really only exist in your memory.

By: Tina

Tina — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:44:26 +0000

Oh that’s easy. I’ve given this tour to so many people. It’s the “Tina’s Seattle” tour. Doesn’t include everything, just my favorite places.
I’d walk from Capitol Hill down Olive Street, to get downtown. Along Olive there is some pretty nice architecture once you get downtown.
We’d continue down this street and go straight to Pike Place Market, where we’d smell fresh flowers and strawberries and I could point out the Italian grocer that I would always go do. Maybe we’d pick out some olive oil. We’d stop at Le Panier for a cafe au lait and watch people walk by before continuing to meander through the market. We’d sample truffle oil at La Buona Tavola. (this is all in the Market).
We would head into Post Alley to the Tasting Room and order a wine flight. Mmmmm Washington wine.
With the crackers and cheese of course!
Then we’d get back up to first and walk to the historical Pioneer Square area.
Make our way back up to Capitol Hill and walk around Volunteer Park before stopping at the Joe Bar for a coffee on the upstairs level.
Dinner would be at the Thai restaurant down the street from there. I forgot the name.

Tina’s last blog post..A day in the life…

Oh my goodness, book your ticket, I’ll book mine…when can we meet in Seattle?!