Fall Back In Love With Where You Live (Refocus on Your Appreciation)
Photo my dad took in the 70’s on one of our family drives through rural Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.
When I was growing up, my father would take us for long drives in the country.
Sometimes he’d lure us with the promise of ice cream on a summer day.
Other times he had a destination in mind but wanted it to be a surprise.
Or perhaps he was just trying to avoid hearing us groan, “A battlefield? Not again…”
I was not immediately appreciative of his history lessons back then.
“Okay Dad. It’s a cowfield. You promised us ice cream.”
But when I look back, I’m forever grateful he took us on those drives and showed us the places he did. Later, when I became more interested in history, I could think back to places I had been and remember what it felt like to be there—and it always made what I was learning about come to life.
As we passed through small towns, farmland, and old villages, he’d stop sometimes to take in the view. We’d have a picnic, and often he’d ask questions like:
“Why do you think this town is here?”
“What do you think they used to grow here?”
“What came through on that railroad?”
These questions taught me to look closer.
To get curious.
To look for clues.
Getting to know places this way expanded my sense of home.
Those country jaunts awakened my senses and made every place I went feel like an adventure.
Getting curious.
Looking for clues…
Sleuthing the not-so-obvious stories that whisper to us below the noise of billboards, traffic lights, and pavement helps us feel a sense of joyful connection, whether we’re making our millionth trip to the grocery store or exploring a new neighborhood on vacation.
When everything seems to be changing, to take a day to explore out a place to explore a place. Seek out or sleuth something that hasn’t changed much. It will recharge you in unexpected ways.
Happy Father’s Day
Years later, as a Father’s Day gift, I wrote this song, “Maryland County Roads,” to thank my dad for all those trips.
I wrote and performed the song and my brother brought those drives back to life with this video (filled with photos our dad took on our adventures).
“If you don’t know where you are, you don’t know who you are.”
—Wendell Berry
Start Where You Are
When we moved to Colrain, Massachusetts 20 years ago, we didn’t feel an immediate sense of belonging. We were outsiders. Newcomers. We didn’t know anyone or much about the stories. And on the surface, many clues of the past seemed missing.
By attending talks at our local Colrain Historical Society—story by story—we began to see the layers of time and story here and put the place together like a puzzle. Each story we learned helped us know, understand, and love this place more. It led to a sense of belonging, and that’s something that’s hard to come by these days.
Even when the histories are hard, or far from your own, learning about places—and how they came to be—is the best thing I know for making more sense of the world today.
Try this: Sleuth Your Place
Use any day you want to fall back in love with where you live
✳︎ What’s the story? ✳︎
Whether it’s something in nature or made by human hands, asking questions take you down a trail of discovery.You might end up at a local museum, park, or historical society—or even in the town hall looking for clues. You can start with just a question, and end up feeling like you’re on an adventure in your own town.
What’s the story of the name of your road? Where can you find out?
Who lived here 100 years ago? Or hundreds of years ago?
What was the land where you live like before your house was built? Who used it before?
It might take some sleuthing. You might hit a wall. Or you might find cool people to ask who know stuff… stuff that’s not on Google.
✳︎ What was life like back then? ✳︎
When we started sleuthing our area, inspired by the programs we atteneded, we learned amazing details about our place that helped us imagine the lives of the people who lived here before us.
Just a few miles from our house the original site of Fort Shirley (built in 1744) sits deep in the woods in Heath, Massachusetts, It was one of a “line of forts” built during the French and Indian Wars.
If you hadn’t stumbled upon it somehow—or someone told you it was there—you’d never know.
An author came and spoke at our local history society about this, and it was eye-opening. It shifted our perspective and opened up our imagination.
From that evening on, we viewed the forest around us differently, knowing these roads and paths led to a fort on a frontier. It helped us imagine the people who lived here and are woven into the tapestry of time—the newcomers and the Native people who were seeking alliances and fiercely defending their rights and land.
A road or forest path can change when you “see” the stories that shaped it into being.
I hope this creative exercise inspires you to look at places with fresh eyes.
Playing detective and doing a little sleuthing can make everywhere you go feel more interesting and fulfilling.
Where are you headed this summer?
Are you staying close to home?
Going further afield?
Wherever you go, I hope you ask questions that lead to fascinating discoveries that ultimately lead you feeling more curious and connected. Share if this inspired you. I’d love to hear!
Happy summer and Happy Father’s Day!
About The Author
Erica Wheeler is an award-winning singer-songwriter, TEDx speaker, professional development trainer, and creative mentor. She’s the creator of the Sense of Place and the Art of Interpretation Training and has worked extensively with the National Park Service, supporting over 45 sites to date. Erica also mentors writers and creatives through online classes and onsite workshops. Her music has charted in Billboard’s Gavin Americana Top Ten and been featured on NPR’s All Things Considered.
Check out Erica’s writing classes, events, and interpretive training programs.