When Massachusetts finally felt like home, according to readers

Readers Say

Boston.com readers share the moments—from sports games to new friendships—when Massachusetts finally started to feel like home.

Moving to Massachusetts — whether from across the globe or just from New York — can be difficult, as any major transition can be.

We asked readers to tell us when they first felt at home in Massachusetts after moving. Readers reflected on sports games, new friends, great jobs, and apartments that made them start to view the state as home.

Ahead, see a sampling of reader responses.

Once you get to know people here, they open up

“My husband and I moved to Carlisle, MA from Colorado in 2016. We moved here to be with my daughter, that was about to have twins. We are not from the east coast, so it was a very different experience. We came from a smaller VERY friendly town in Colorado and had always lived in the west coast. When we came here, I approached people everywhere with my friendly smile and hello’s to be met with blank stares or no eye contact. Why are people NOT friendly in Massachusetts?

So I joined networking business groups and put myself out there in as many circles to meet others and to promote my holistic business. Then a shift happened. Finally, I felt more of a sense of community and feeling at home! I think, once you get to know people here, they open up and connect more. We now live in Monson, MA, which we are enjoying.” – Sunshine B., Monson

We hit the jackpot with our neighborhood

“The day before we moved into our house, I was sweeping leaves out of our still empty garage when I heard someone behind me say hello. It was our next door neighbor, and he had stopped over to welcome us. From that first day when we didn’t even have furniture in the house, we had neighbors coming by to say hello and to offer us help. Our neighbor across the street brings her dog over to play with our dogs, and she’s watched our dogs for us when we’ve been away. We’ve hung out with her and her family as well as the neighbors to either side of our house. We’ve built fires in the back yard and invited neighbors to sit with us and enjoy s’mores together. They help us catch our dog when he digs under the fence. We hit the jackpot with our neighborhood. I haven’t felt this type of camaraderie with neighbors since my childhood in Central Ohio. I’ve lived in Ohio, Texas, and Germany.

Outside of the neighborhood, friend-making has been slower going. We joined a church and a ski club, and I do some volunteer work. I’ve met some people through my job and through volunteering who I enjoy being around, but I wouldn’t call them close friends. That’s something that takes time and effort. Still a work in progress. I would say no matter where I live, I would still be in the same situation. There are people who find big groups of friends and hang out with them all the time. I’m more of a slow simmer type person when building friendships. I have a few close friends, but they’re for life. Massachusetts is a wonderful place, and I wouldn’t mind spending my life here.” – Sherrie S., South Easton

I didn’t feel at home until I bought a 2-BR condo

I moved to Mass. for a relationship that bombed as soon as I landed in Boston. For the first 20 years, I got involved in community and support groups, made friends, and went back to school for a master’s degree. But I didn’t feel at home until I bought a 2-BR condo. As a homeowner, I felt more secure when I paid off the mortgage. Nobody could kick me out of my home. – Jacqueline L., Brighton

Making great friends and meeting great neighbors

“I moved here in 2001 from The Netherlands. It probably took me between 9 and 12 months to feel at home, although in the years after there have been moments when you feel left out when your friends or colleagues discuss specific Boston/MA things that you never heard of or understand. The reason why it [was] relatively soon to feel [at] home is feeling aligned with MA and MA-ers, going through both good and bad bonding moments together (911, Boston Championships, etc.), and making great friends and meeting great neighbors along the way.”- Gerard V., Burlington, Sudbury, and now Fenway

“I didn’t move to Boston until 2005, but I felt at home when I went to the Red Sox game in 2004 when David Ortiz hit the walk-off HR against the Angels. I had never felt an energy like that from a sports game where the community was truly connected.” – Kevin from Back Bay

I was wearing a Scally cap and accepted by townies as one of their own

“I lived in Somerville for about a decade but didn’t really feel like a local until I started driving for Green Cab – within a couple of months I was wearing a Scally cap and accepted by townies as one of their own.” – Douglas from Somerville

When ‘the thaw’ happened in late spring, my wonderful neighbors emerged

“Moved here in January from FL. Had a nor’easter the day [my] furniture was scheduled to arrive. Moved into a 55+ community. When ‘the thaw’ happened in late spring, my wonderful neighbors emerged. Parties, coffees, games and fun became the norm. Creating a new peer group made it home.” – Susan B. from Hudson

Responses have been lightly edited for grammar.