It is a curious emotion, this certain homesickness I have in mind. With Americans, it is a national trait, as native to us as the roller-coaster or the jukebox. It is no simple longing for the home town or country of our birth. The emotion is Janus-faced: we are torn between a nostalgia for the familiar and an urge for the foreign and strange. As often as not, we are homesick most for the places we have never known.

Summary

This quote highlights the unique emotion of homesickness that Americans experience. It goes beyond longing for one's hometown or country of birth and embodies a bittersweet feeling. The speaker describes this homesickness as Janus-faced, meaning it has two sides. Americans are torn between a nostalgic yearning for the familiar and an adventurous desire for the foreign and unfamiliar. Interestingly, this homesickness often extends to places they have never been, emphasizing the allure of the unknown and the yearning for exploration.

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