The Thread That Pulled Me Home

I’d never lived more than a tank of gas away from the Blue Ridge.

Southwest Virginia was home - not just where I lived, but who I was. My roots ran deep in these hills, wrapped around creeks and backroads and stories told on front porches. A few years in North Carolina had stretched me a little, but I could still get back home by supper if I needed to.

And then, just like that, I was leaving the country.

I wasn’t exactly scared, but I was uncertain. I didn’t know what to expect. I was a young mom with my hands full - Alex just 18 months old, and Raegan still a newborn. But we boarded the plane and took the short flight to Lajes Air Base on Terceira Island, part of the Azores, nestled in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

The island was small - just 154 square miles of green cliffs and volcanic soil. It was, in fact, an active volcano. There were two main cities: Angra do Heroísmo and Praia da Vitória. Praia catered to the military, so that’s where I spent most of my time. I fell hard for the cozy coffee shops - and that’s where I found my love for a latte, or as the locals call it, a galão. But don’t try going during lunchtime - everything closes for lunch.

Our home had the most breathtaking view - Atlantic waves on one side, cows on the other. It had the classic Portuguese style: Telhas rooftops, bright orange clay tiles glowing in the sun. It was beautiful. A once-in-a-lifetime experience. I knew that. I was grateful. But still - something in me ached.

I missed home.

One day, my then-husband walked in to find me sitting in the middle of the bed, crying. I told him I was homesick. Just that. Homesick. He didn’t argue. He booked me a flight back to my mountains. And the moment I saw those blue ridges rising in the distance, I felt whole again.

Over the two years we lived in Portugal, I spent about four of those months back in Appalachia. Because for me, there’s always been a string - one end tied to my heart, the other knotted deep in these mountains. And no matter how far I go - even to the middle of the ocean - that string tugs at my soul.

That’s how it’s always been… until I came home again for good.