I moved to a big city at 51 to be closer to my 2 sons. I almost instantly regretted it and left a year later.

Jennifer McGuire realized home was back in her small town.

Courtesy of Jennifer McGuire

• I missed being a part of my sons' daily lives, so when they were 23 and 24, I moved to be nearby.
• Starting over at 51 in a big city was difficult, and I became more needy than I was back home.
• I wasn't myself, and it wasn't working out for anyone. I moved back after one year.

It hit me on the seven-hour drive. The punch to the gut, the weight of the wrongness of it all.