To the girl without a hometown,
That first day of class when the teacher asks, "Where is your hometown?" and you shrug your shoulders because people think you are weird when you say don't have a hometown. So you don't have roots yet, and that's okay. You are not weird because you don't have a hometown because trust me, you are not alone.
Whether it be because something major happened, your family moved, you just never felt like you belonged, or you just woke up one day and something changed, whatever the reason is, you feel like you don't have a hometown. Sure, you have a home wherever your family is. That is home to you, but you don't have that famed "hometown" everyone talks about and what seems like everyone seems to miss. You don't miss that little town everyone claims to hate, but they never leave. You watch your classmates and the people you spent the first eighteen years of your life go back to that what used to be your hometown and they act like it is a dream come true, and for some it is. However, to you, that same little town you grew up in, is just that: a town. It is really okay to outgrow what used to be your hometown, some people outgrow it and others grow into it. You can't change it either way.
Don't get me wrong; there will always be people in that town that you will miss: kids you watched grow up, a math teacher who believed in every one of his students, your best friends from high school, the students you taught in swimming lessons, and your family. These people are the people that matter. You went to school there, you went to prom, made friends, got your first summer job, played sports, and all the while you were making memories. The memories you made will always be there, but at some point, you realized that that is all that town holds for you: memories.
If you are anything like me, one day you went home to what used to be your hometown, and everything changed. Suddenly you were an outsider in the community that used to be the little hometown people write songs about. One day you will walk into a restaurant in what used to be your hometown and you will feel like people are whispering. Suddenly you didn't fit anymore. That feeling of detachment doesn't go away no matter how hard you try to get over it. That town you grew up in didn't change overnight, and most likely your feelings aren't going to change overnight either, and you probably won't feel like you suddenly have that same little hometown again. Luckily, though, you will find a new home. You will make new friends, and you will find a sense of belonging somewhere out there in this big world we live in. You can't be an outsider forever. Eventually, you will surround yourself with people who truly have your best interest at heart.
Sincerely,
Another girl who hasn't found her hometown yet
