The more questions you ask about a place, the more it feels like yours. Ask about your town’s history.

Belonging grows out of knowing things. A street you understand the name of, a building you know used to be something else, a factory that explains why the roads run that way: each piece turns scenery into a place with a story you are now part of. People who feel rootless often simply never got told anything about where they live.

Ask one old person in your town what used to be where. Look up why your street has that name, or what the oldest building was for. Walk past it afterwards and notice that it looks different to you now.