Do you recall the first time you left your childhood home, and how you felt about the experience?

When Pavla is taken to her first doctor, it's the first time she's left her village and she's frightened. Do you recall the first time you left your childhood home, and how you felt about the experience?

I didn't leave my childhood home until I got married. I went to a college and commuted form home, and received my Masters as well. I started teaching while I still lived at home. It was an adjustment for me to move to an apartment in a building, from a large private house.l I think I missed my cat the most!!

I was very shy, also as the youngest of three girls I loved being home alone with my mother. My sisters were 10 years and 4 years older then me. My first time leaving home...kindergarten. I would not get on the bus, my mother had to drive me to school and I cried and cried and cried. The teacher would distract me so my mother could leave. I was smart enough to know what they were doing so I let it happen. Also smart enough to know my mom would not take me back home! After school lunch with my mom and watched Wanda Wanda on tv. A popular local Seattle tv show for kids.
As far as actually leaving home, through college I lived at home, moved out when I married. Our first apartment not far from my parents home, I was in love. I was fine with my new life!

I left for college four hours away and was very nervous and homesick.

My mom loves to tell the story that the first time she dropped me off at kindergarten, I said, "OK, bye mom!" and headed off. She was pretty upset about that. Unfortunately I think my life has been one of always leaving home & cutting ties. I went to college at 18 and never lived at home again. I remember being excited and not scared.

Pavla left her home with her parents. I think that is a little different than leaving home by yourself. As a military family, we were always traveling and so I was use to it. The first time I was on my own without my parents was after graduation in the Philippines. I flew back to the US by myself and that was a bit scary but also very exciting.

Yes, I remember going to church summer camp for a week to live in a dorm with roommates sometime during
middle school. It was a whole new world in which there was both wonder and fear. Things like new experiences where I had no parental guidance about what to do, embarrassing moments, awkwardness and uncertainty about new friends/foes. Terrifying at times and downright mystical at others.

I left for good when they dropped me off at a boarding high school. I went from having my own room to a dorm with 30 girls. It was the first time I understood what loneliness was.

I was the sixth child in my family and by the time I left home four of them had already left so it was sorta normal. I left for college and loved it but had the comfort of a roommate who was a high school classmate. I never lived at home again after that. Actually, I never lived in the same state again after I finished college.

I was a military brat and felt like my first home in California would always be my "home." I still feel that way.

My father was an Ironworker. I can never remember having a permanent home ( 5 different schools in 4 different states in my 5th year at school alone). My first permanent home was when I left home and got my own house. I remember I was always very sad to leave my friends as we changed locations, but I don't think I stayed in one location for more than about 8 months at a time. Needless to say I have lived all over the US.

When I was 5, my sister was diagnosed with TB and put in a sanitarium and my other was sent to a hospital, both in different towns. My two brothers and my younger sister, who was a baby were sent to my maternal grandparents for about 6 months. I remember being confused and lonely, and having abandonment dreams. By the same token I was unemotional..to point of not recognizing my mother when she did come to bring me home.

My parents took us many places on vacations when I was growing up -- nowhere very far or exotic, but far enough to qualify as traveling. Also my siblings and I took turns with overnights at my beloved aunt's house. So I don't have any distinct memory of a "first time" and being scared or homesick. As a teenager I was an exchange student in France for one summer, and even though I was a very shy person, I loved it, and was very ready to leave home for college when that time came. I felt very eager to get away from my small town rural life. (Later on, with kids of my own, I was very glad to leave NYC and raise my family in a small town rural setting.) I imagine that without intending to necessarily, but just satisfying their own needs to see more of the world, my parents paved the way for me to associate travel with happiness and discovery.

I was 12 when I went to camp with a friend. I was so homesick the first few days, I spent most of the time in the nurses office. When it was time to come home, I was having a great time and did not want to leave.

I left my childhood home when I was 15 to move to another state and live family relatives. It was a personal choice mutually agreed upon with my parents and wasn't the result of dysfunction. I felt like I needed a different environment, peer group and just different options. I was extremely excited and terrified. All the usual anxiety over meeting new friends, new school, and a different family environment was present. It turned out to be a life changing experience in the best possible way and I have never regretted it.

Yes...I was super excited & happy that I could afford to move out on my own. I think my parents did a fantastic job of preparing me & my brothers for living independent lives so we were each ready & able to survive on our own with no problems.

Upon leaving for kindergarten, I was so excited and didn't even look back at my mother. Upon leaving my home to move away for the first time, I was just as excited and totally happy and not sad to be leaving. I was completely prepared to be independent and could take care of myself by the time I was out of high school, really before that. I did call my parents quite often, though.

I used to be very scared to leave my house, almost to the point of becoming physically ill. My home was my safe place. It took quite awhile for me to become comfortable away from my house.

As long as I was with my mom and dad I was fine leaving my home. When you are so little and you leave your home for the first time you don't know where you are going. You don't know what is ahead of you. So as long as you are with mom and dad you are fine.

I left at 17 to get married. I was very happy to get out of my house at that time but remained very close to my mother. I thought at that time, I was very prepared to be on my own. Little did I know how much I had to learn.