This is such a gorgeous and thoughtful piece. I'm also going through the process of finding home elsewhere having been priced out of where I grew up (in another trendy part of the west country), so a lot of what you say really rings true. "You can’t make yourself belong just by wanting to. It happens slowly as you get to know a place" - so true, (and so frustrating!) The gentle pace at which you contemplate this process feels like a blueprint itself - patient, hopeful, one foot in front of the other, with a keen, kind eye on the place around you and the people in it.
Bee, it's such a good idea to create a podcast series from your essays, and so lovely to hear your voice. I'm following on my mobile so I won't miss an episode. And, congratulations on making your move down country!
Ah, thanks for that Yasmin, I’d not made an audio recording for some time (and had to remember to breathe! Next time I’ll be doing some breathing exercises first.) We haven’t moved back down south just yet, but hope to be there by the end of this year.
As always, a beautifully written piece. I’m still looking for the place where it feels I ‘belong’, so this really struck a chord with me. Thank you so much for sharing your writing here 💚
Thank you so much Donna. You will find your place perhaps when you least expect to. I hope we get to meet one of these days. It’s going to be quite the year, have you started your masters yet?
I suspect my place is somewhere back in the UK, but until the girls are older I can’t move back. Worse places to be than Australia though 😊 When I am back I would love if we could meet in person.
I started my Masters this week, and I am loving the course but the amount of technology involved is bamboozling. It’s online so there’s software to study, different software to submit, apps to collaborate…25 years ago I used to turn up for lectures with a pen and notebook!
Home, the place that settles the heart and murmurs promises it will keep. A place that wraps like a warm blanket even in the cold, the drizzle of rain, the changing light. These are what I reflect upon when reading your essay. The cadence of pause here, yes, here, for just a moment because here is where there is something to see an emotion to wrap in your hands.
I've been to, lived in places that called to me. I've been repelled by places I thought certainly were where I was supposed to be but today I am in a beautiful place you share with close buildings and cobblestone and you make this a place to be.
This piece strikes me deeply, especially with how it taps into that quiet, sometimes unspoken relationship we develop with places, a bond beyond mere geography or convenience. As someone who’s always lived in the North yet often finds myself drawn to the South for work, I can really relate to that sense of recognition when a place feels like it’s already part of you, even if you’ve just arrived. With its history that isn’t preserved behind glass but lived day-to-day, Mevagissey seems to embody that feeling of attachment, something real and grounding, not just picturesque. This was such a moving reflection on belonging, the way we weave ourselves into the fabric of a place without even realising it until we look back and see all the layers. It speaks to the quiet, steadfast continuity of home, wherever that might be, and how we can always carry it with us, even when we’re far from it.
Thanks for leaving such a considered comment, it made my morning!
I was just thinking how helpful it is read what resonates with folk. If we were sitting in a cafe now and you said "I like your latest piece," I'd say "thanks, Matt! What did you like about it?" I'd like to think that Substack is all about relationship building other than scrolling through notes clicking 'like' etc. So your comment means a lot.
Keep in touch. I produce sound design and soundtracks for film shorts in another life, would love to have a conversation with you about producing sometime.
Hi Bee, It's my pleasure. I'm really enjoying your writing. 😊 I agree it should be about supporting fellow writers who we like. After all, all writers are also readers.
Oh wow! That's pretty cool. I just record bands and feel that is way beyond what I could do. Although I do think a lot about sound design in the tracks I'm working on. I love bands that have their own unique sonic qualities. Yes - we should keep in touch!
This is such a gorgeous and thoughtful piece. I'm also going through the process of finding home elsewhere having been priced out of where I grew up (in another trendy part of the west country), so a lot of what you say really rings true. "You can’t make yourself belong just by wanting to. It happens slowly as you get to know a place" - so true, (and so frustrating!) The gentle pace at which you contemplate this process feels like a blueprint itself - patient, hopeful, one foot in front of the other, with a keen, kind eye on the place around you and the people in it.
Thank you, Kate. Keep in touch re your move.
I was transported reading this, beautiful writing. Thank you.
Thank you Melissa.
Bee, it's such a good idea to create a podcast series from your essays, and so lovely to hear your voice. I'm following on my mobile so I won't miss an episode. And, congratulations on making your move down country!
Ah, thanks for that Yasmin, I’d not made an audio recording for some time (and had to remember to breathe! Next time I’ll be doing some breathing exercises first.) We haven’t moved back down south just yet, but hope to be there by the end of this year.
As always, a beautifully written piece. I’m still looking for the place where it feels I ‘belong’, so this really struck a chord with me. Thank you so much for sharing your writing here 💚
Thank you so much Donna. You will find your place perhaps when you least expect to. I hope we get to meet one of these days. It’s going to be quite the year, have you started your masters yet?
I suspect my place is somewhere back in the UK, but until the girls are older I can’t move back. Worse places to be than Australia though 😊 When I am back I would love if we could meet in person.
I started my Masters this week, and I am loving the course but the amount of technology involved is bamboozling. It’s online so there’s software to study, different software to submit, apps to collaborate…25 years ago I used to turn up for lectures with a pen and notebook!
Lot to be said for paper and pen. Oh those were the days hey.
Home, the place that settles the heart and murmurs promises it will keep. A place that wraps like a warm blanket even in the cold, the drizzle of rain, the changing light. These are what I reflect upon when reading your essay. The cadence of pause here, yes, here, for just a moment because here is where there is something to see an emotion to wrap in your hands.
I've been to, lived in places that called to me. I've been repelled by places I thought certainly were where I was supposed to be but today I am in a beautiful place you share with close buildings and cobblestone and you make this a place to be.
Thank you Stacy. It is always a pleasure to read your words, and always a pleasure to write about Cornwall.
This piece strikes me deeply, especially with how it taps into that quiet, sometimes unspoken relationship we develop with places, a bond beyond mere geography or convenience. As someone who’s always lived in the North yet often finds myself drawn to the South for work, I can really relate to that sense of recognition when a place feels like it’s already part of you, even if you’ve just arrived. With its history that isn’t preserved behind glass but lived day-to-day, Mevagissey seems to embody that feeling of attachment, something real and grounding, not just picturesque. This was such a moving reflection on belonging, the way we weave ourselves into the fabric of a place without even realising it until we look back and see all the layers. It speaks to the quiet, steadfast continuity of home, wherever that might be, and how we can always carry it with us, even when we’re far from it.
Hello Matt.
Thanks for leaving such a considered comment, it made my morning!
I was just thinking how helpful it is read what resonates with folk. If we were sitting in a cafe now and you said "I like your latest piece," I'd say "thanks, Matt! What did you like about it?" I'd like to think that Substack is all about relationship building other than scrolling through notes clicking 'like' etc. So your comment means a lot.
Keep in touch. I produce sound design and soundtracks for film shorts in another life, would love to have a conversation with you about producing sometime.
Hi Bee, It's my pleasure. I'm really enjoying your writing. 😊 I agree it should be about supporting fellow writers who we like. After all, all writers are also readers.
Oh wow! That's pretty cool. I just record bands and feel that is way beyond what I could do. Although I do think a lot about sound design in the tracks I'm working on. I love bands that have their own unique sonic qualities. Yes - we should keep in touch!
Thanks Kate!
Thank you @Adam Langley for the restack
No problem! It was beautiful!