Well said, @prydefoltz!
And this, sadly: you came back to the country. All the reasons to come back are now gone - people die, local schools close, businesses change hands or get torn down. My grandparents' generation died off; now my parents are the last of their generation, and I am entering the phase of Old Timers.
*"but I feel I belong here"
Knowing where we belong -- there's so much to be said for that. :)