Don't Let The Nostalgia That Comes With Leaving Home Fade Away | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

Don't Let The Nostalgia That Comes With Leaving Home Fade Away

Our futures may not include each other, but our past did.

112
Don't Let The Nostalgia That Comes With Leaving Home Fade Away
Krissy Valluru

As I gaze out of the small window of my airplane, making the journey from the big city back to my little suburbia, I'm struck with a wave of nostalgia. I'm 17 years old, and I live in a well-off southern town in Georgia, where most residents are exposed to nothing beyond middle-class comfort, nice cars, above-average education and weekend trips to Lake Windward or Avalon. It's something that's familiar to me, something that I've set as the norm in my life even though it is hardly the norm in other places. But it's all I've ever known, and it's something that I've grown accustomed to. That, however, is something that will change in a matter of less than a year.

Because I'm 17 years old, and I'm still young, but I'm about to leave this place I've called home for years behind. Once high school ends and college comes knocking on the door of life, my childhood home will be exactly that — a childhood home. It's exhilarating and confusing, but it's happening sooner than I could have imagined.

Somehow, flying back home after spending a week in a city different from my own, it feels like I've aged. I envision myself in the exact position I am currently in, except eight years into the future. The scene shifts and I am 25 years old now, flying to Georgia to see my family and friends for the holiday season. I am comforted by the fact that I will soon be back in my little corner of the world that gave me a home when I needed it most. Soon, I'll be able to spend quality time with my family that I took entirely for granted when I was younger. I'll be able to see the friends I spent my teen years with and catch up with their lives, learn their stories, wish them the best for their futures.

And that is the part that tugs at my heart the most. Because our futures may not include each other in them, but our pasts did. And that's all that matters, in the end. Each of us has created a little piece of each other's lives, inserted ourselves into memories that will last for the years to come. We have crossed paths, given each other companionship for a little while, and set off in our own ways, into our own roads. It's bittersweet, but it's the truth.

And even though I'm only 17, and I couldn't possibly know how it feels to leave everything behind yet, I'll be 18 soon, then 20, then 25 and 30 and more. I'm moving on from my childhood. Maybe the most important part of growing up is knowing that even if you don't get to experience the memories you have cherished in the past ever again, they still exist in your mind.

Write these memories down, take pictures, tell stories. Never let them die.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

850
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

447363
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

20488
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Moana's Top 10 Life Tips

"Moana" is filled with life lessons that involve far more than finding true love as many other Disney movies do.

43745
Animated image of a woman with long dark hair and tattoos
StableDiffusion

1. It's easy to be fooled by shiny things.

Digital image of shiny gemstones in cased in gold. shiny things StableDiffusion

Tamatoa created a liar filled with shiny things simply for the purpose of tricking fish to enter and become his food. He too experiences a lesson in how easy it is to be tricked by shiny things when Moana distracts him by covering herself in glowing algae so Maui can grab his hook.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments