Well, you can. Only you might find yourself staying at a Trave Lodge, driving a rented Ford Contour and staking out your childhood home like some noir private eye just trying to catch a glimpse of the Johnny-come-latelys that are now living in YOUR HOUSE.
It's a familiar story. Kids grow up, parents sell the family home and move to some sunnier climate, some condo somewhere, some smaller abode. We grown up kids box up all the junk from our childhoods -- dusty ballet shoes, high school text books, rolled up posters of Adam Ant -- and wonder where home went.
I'm not a sentimental person, I told myself. I don't need to see old 3922 26th Street before we sell the place. I even skipped the part where I return home to salvage my mementos from the garage. I let my parents box up the stuff which arrived from San Francisco like the little package you get when released from jail. You know, here's your watch, the outfit you wore in here, some cash. Here's the person you once were.
After a year, San Francisco called me home again. I missed it. I cruised over to my old neighborhood. There was the little corner store my mom used to send me to for milk, the familiar fire station, the Laundromat.
I cried like the sap I never thought I'd be. I sat in the car, staring at my old house, tears welling up.
I walked up and touched the doorknob like it was the cheek of a lover just home from war. I sat on our scratchy brick stoop, dangling my legs off the edge, feeling as rootless as I've ever felt.
As much as I'd like to buy the cliches
I'll probably be casing that joint from time to time for the rest of my life. I'll sit outside, like a child watching someone take away a favorite toy, and silently scream, "MINE!"
相关单词：lodge
lodge解释：v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆
lodge例句：
Is there anywhere that I can lodge in the village tonight?村里有我今晚过夜的地方吗？
I shall lodge at the inn for two nights.我要在这家小店住两个晚上。
相关单词：Ford
Ford解释：n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过
Ford例句：
They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。
相关单词：abode
abode解释：n.住处，住所
abode例句：
It was ten months before my father discovered his abode.父亲花了十个月的功夫，才好不容易打听到他的住处。
Welcome to our humble abode!欢迎光临寒舍！
相关单词：sentimental
sentimental解释：adj.多愁善感的，感伤的
sentimental例句：
She's a sentimental woman who believes marriage comes by destiny.她是多愁善感的人，她相信姻缘命中注定。
We were deeply touched by the sentimental movie.我们深深被那感伤的电影所感动。
相关单词：salvage
salvage解释：v.救助，营救，援救；n.救助，营救
salvage例句：
All attempts to salvage the wrecked ship failed.抢救失事船只的一切努力都失败了。
The salvage was piled upon the pier.抢救出的财产被堆放在码头上。
相关单词：mementos
mementos解释：纪念品，令人回忆的东西( memento的名词复数 )
mementos例句：
The museum houses a collection of mementos, materials and documents. 博物馆保存着很多回忆录以及文献资料。
This meant, however, that no one was able to retrieve irreplaceable family mementos. 然而，这也意味着谁也没能把无可替代的家庭纪念品从火中救出来。
相关单词：outfit
outfit解释：n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装
outfit例句：
Jenney bought a new outfit for her daughter's wedding.珍妮为参加女儿的婚礼买了一套新装。
His father bought a ski outfit for him on his birthday.他父亲在他生日那天给他买了一套滑雪用具。
相关单词：dangling
dangling解释：悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口
dangling例句：
The tooth hung dangling by the bedpost, now. 结果，那颗牙就晃来晃去吊在床柱上了。
The children sat on the high wall,their legs dangling. 孩子们坐在一堵高墙上，摇晃着他们的双腿。
相关单词：platitudes
platitudes解释：n.平常的话，老生常谈，陈词滥调( platitude的名词复数 )；滥套子
platitudes例句：
He was mouthing the usual platitudes
He delivered a long prose full of platitudes. 他发表了一篇充满陈词滥调的文章。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
相关单词：joint
joint解释：adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合
joint例句：
I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。
