How long did it take for your new home to feel like home?
Posted by expatkk522@reddit | expats | View on Reddit | 12 comments
Just curious.
I’m about a year and a half in. Passed the honey moon phase, not quite home yet. Love where I live. Just not fully feeling like home yet.
PamelaPaz11@reddit
Immediately 😄 I always said that went I arrive here its feel like love at first sight. I always knew I will stay.
Caveat2026@reddit
In some places, a week. In others, I'm still waiting to "arrive" after three years.
elysiancat@reddit
Almost 3 years here, it feels familiar. When I travel I like to return home . But I don’t truly fit in here especially at work (which is basically most of the day.)
Of course it doesn’t help that since we came here we knew we would return and aren’t going to be here forever although we toyed around with the idea. But now I’m sort of relieved to return to home country and counting down the months till I can wrap things up here and exit
LevHerceg@reddit
I felt at home instantly. I definitely felt more at home than in my "home" country.
After several years, I abruptly had to leave and move back to my "home" country. It's been quite a while now and I still feel I am an immigrant here.
Binar1101@reddit
Once we got all of our art and belongings it felt perfect.
North_Artichoke_6721@reddit
I had one longer term (5 year) and several shorter term assignments (1 year each).
None of them were ever “home” to me because I knew I was going “back home” when the role concluded.
expatkk522@reddit (OP)
Makes sense. 5 years is a lot. Have you ever wanted to stay at any location?
North_Artichoke_6721@reddit
Some places were better than others but I was always ready to go back.
solarnoise@reddit
Been here 9 years. Still doesn't feel like home. Whenever I use the word "home" I am always referring to where I'm from (Boston area), not where I am currently (London).
expatkk522@reddit (OP)
I hear you. I moved around a bit in the States. I actually feel like a have a few homes. Barcelona (where I live now) almost feels like it.
BackToGuac@reddit
I think I’m in a slightly unconventional position with this as I grew up abroad before moving back to my home country (am British with British parents, lived in Spain from 6-16 - local school, only English in the town kinda thing) then moved back to the uk from 16-26 then went travelling with my husband and moved to Costa Rica at 29.
We’ve been here 3 years and it’s starting to feel home adjacent but not fully. However, the uk doesn’t feel like home either and neither does Spain at this point.
Love where we live. Love our life. Wouldn’t change a thing (except the lack of city planning in this beautiful yet frustrating country) and my house definitely feels like home, but the actual country… not quite
Weirdly out of the 30+ counties we traveled to, Romania is the place I felt the most settled/at home. I could have lived there forever.
expatkk522@reddit (OP)
Amazing. Where in CR? I visited for a few weeks a couple years back and fell in love. I’m from the States and now live in Barcelona. :)