Early last month my husband and I spent a week in Salzburg, Austria. This was a sort of homecoming for us; between 1989 and 2002 we lived there for a year every three years. Geoff was on Bowling Green State University’s German faculty and was part of the rotation of professors who led the Academic Year Aboard program. In other words, we spent four years of our life — and our young son’s life — in a different country, which became a second home.
Was it easy? Not always, our son and I had to learn German and find friend and activities. He attended local (German-language) school, and we had to adapt to differences in everyday life. But we also made contacts and found meaningful involvement.
Was it worth the difficulties? Without a doubt.
It was great to be back in our old stomping grounds, visiting old haunts and old friends, walking the hills and along the river, and relishing the Alpine views (not to mention Austrian cuisine!) As a matter of fact, even after only a week back there, I missed it upon our return. The sights and sounds of Salzburg are part of the fabric of our family life, and our connection is strong.
But part of going away and coming back is remembering the value of our hometown as well. Each time we spend that year abroad I returned with a new-found appreciation of my home.
Northwest Ohio may not boast mountains, but its flat landscape offers panoramic sunsets, its former swamp-rich fields and woodlands. I may not be able to walk hills here, or get mountain views, but I can wander the city and county parks whenever I choose.
In fact, the Austrian students who sometimes study here are always pleasantly surprised at all the green space and peaceful fields in Wood County, after being warned by the natives of how flat the area is.
And of course, nothing replaces hometown friends and the memories we’ve built here.
What if we looked at our hometown with the eyes of a newcomer? You don’t have to go away for a year or even a week to do this. How often do we seek out something new in our familiar surroundings?
The pandemic forced many of us to discover the city and county parks while searching for safe, socially-distanced activities. It’s easy to take our amazing park system for granted, but the parks are a treasure worth exploring.
I’m sometime amazed — and a little embarrassed — at how much more visiting students and scholars know about local attractions than I do. We can all make more of an effort to appreciate the parks, the Wood County Museum, the Maumee River, and musical and art events of the BGSU campus. It’s easy not to notice the richness of everyday life around us.
A recent brochure from our local museum encouraged us to “become tourists in our own town.” I think this is a powerful idea. Why not set a weekend aside to explore something new in Bowling Green or Wood County: a park, the river, a village festival, the local libraries and their many programs?
You may uncover a new side to your familiar hometown. As visitors to our town during the Black Swamp Arts Festival remind us, ours is a unique community with a lively volunteer ethic and a friendly atmosphere. It is one we residents have invested a great deal in improving.
In these late-pandemic days, we might not be able to travel as much as we’d like to. But we can adopt a fresh perspective on the familiar, and re-discover what makes our hometown special. After all, we choose to live here for a reason. Let’s celebrate the ties that make this a place we want to come home to, and will miss if we go away.
