Thank you for this beautiful piece! I grew up in Appalachia (Northeast TN), moved to Nashville for college and lived there for a decade and recently moved back, at least for now, to Northeast TN. Moving to Nashville was a culture shock to me coming from the mountains and I never felt that I quite fit in, yet I had a longing for more. I always dreamed of moving to NYC or San Francisco (where you grew up!). Maybe one experiences the allure of what one hasn't known. I may still end up in a larger city for a while, but lately I've been exploring my roots in the mountains.