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Definition of hometown

Examples of hometown in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hometown.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

1851, in the meaning defined above

Dictionary Entries Near hometown

home theater

Cite this Entry

“Hometown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hometown. Accessed 7 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of hometown, more from merriam-webster on hometown.

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hometown

Nglish: Translation of hometown for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of hometown for Arabic Speakers

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Hometown or Home Town: Which One Is Correct?

By: Author Caron Phillips

Posted on Published: May 29, 2021

At first glance, the words “hometown” and “home town” might seem to have different meanings. After all, “hometown” is a closed compound word, while “home town” is an open compound word. However, they have more in common than not.

“Hometown” is the correct spelling in American English, while “home town” is generally the correct spelling in British English. “Hometown” and “home town” can both function as stand-alone or attributive nouns, and they refer to the place where someone was born, raised, or now lives.

This is one example of how we can write some words in English, whether American or British, as one compound word or two separate words that come together to form a single meaning.

In this article, we will explore the background, meaning, and usage of these terms. We will share examples of when and how people use “hometown” primarily in American English. We will end by providing more information on the types of compound words.

Is Hometown One Word or Two?

“Hometown” and “home town” are essentially the same word. They have identical origins and parts of speech, as well as meanings. Their only difference is that we spell one as a closed compound and the other as an open compound.

Variances in Spelling

According to Merriam-Webster, the correct form of the word is the closed compound “hometown.” However, Collins Dictionary has “home town” as an entry, identifying the open compound as more common in British English ( source ). 

Both “hometown” and “home town” are compound words that combine two words into one meaning. Compound words can be closed, open, or hyphenated. We will go into the types of compound words in more detail later in the article.

Looking at both entries in their respective dictionaries, the nouns “hometown” and “home town” share every other characteristic, including synonyms and definitions.

While both are correct forms of the word in their proper context, since “hometown” is the American version, we will prioritize that spelling throughout the rest of the article.

According to Merriam-Webster, “hometown” dates back to 1851. Since the emergence of “hometown” in Late Modern English, the meaning hasn’t changed.

What Does Home Town Mean?

Dictionaries typically define “hometown” in two different ways. “Hometown” can be the place where a person was born and raised or where a person currently lives ( source ). 

Consider the following examples using the two definitions:

Bill’s hometown was Indianapolis; he was born and lived there until after graduating from high school.

Lisa considered Tulsa to be her hometown after living there for 12 years.

In the first example, the fact that Bill was born and raised in Indianapolis matches the first definition. The second example shows how “hometown” can represent the place where someone now lives. 

Nouns name people, places, things, or ideas and, as a noun, “hometown” names a place. We can modify it with an adjective, such as in this sentence:

Susan resented her dull hometown , dreading her visits back to see her parents. 

In this sentence, the adjective “dull” modifies the noun “hometown.”

“Hometown” is also an attributive noun, which functions much like an adjective. Attributive nouns modify other nouns but still retain their own meaning. They remain nouns, even when we use them in an adjectival manner.

He cheered for the hometown team, even though they were not favored to win.

Here, “hometown” describes the team but still has the same meaning. Most likely, he was cheering for the hometown team because he was either born, raised, or currently lives there. 

Other Words Describing Our Place of Origin 

The following words mean essentially the same thing as “hometown” in the sense of our place of origin ( source ): 

Some of these examples use “town” and “country” somewhat loosely since a “town” is usually in the countryside, away from the larger cities, while “country” can refer to the countryside or a nation.

How to Use “Hometown”

Even though you can use the word “hometown” as both a stand-alone noun and an attributive noun, it still retains its meaning in either usage. Even so, we use them in different ways within sentences.

Remember, we can modify stand-alone nouns by using adjectives, as well as attributive nouns. Attributive nouns modify other nouns and function in an adjectival manner.  

Using “Hometown” as a Noun

Dictionaries list “hometown” as a countable noun, meaning it can be singular or plural. “Hometown” becomes “hometowns” simply by adding an -s at the end. Consider the following examples:

The weather in my hometown was awful enough to make me want to move far away.

Bears are prevalent in Tiffany and Matt’s hometowns , both near Glacier National Park.

Todd came back to his hometown to take a job as a teacher at his former grade school.

Their hometowns had much larger populations than their current towns.

Brad scheduled the conference near his hometown so he wouldn’t have to get a hotel room.

In the first, third, and fourth sentences, “hometown” is the place where the speaker was born or grew up. The second and fifth sentences could utilize either definition; the speakers’ hometowns could either be their birthplace or their current residence. 

Where the sentences use the plural form “hometowns,” it describes multiple people’s different places of birth or residence.

“Hometown” as an Attributive Noun

Attributive nouns and adjectives are quite similar. Both types of words modify nouns and add details and descriptive language to sentences. One may also remove attributive nouns without changing the meaning of the sentence.

Here are a few examples of “hometown” functioning as an attributive noun:

Abigail was considered a hometown hero; the work she had accomplished as a senator benefitted many members of her community.

The hometown crowd was getting rowdy as their team extended their lead in the game.

Eileen believed the band’s scheduled hometown gig would bring in the biggest audience yet.

The pie was a hometown recipe that no one could replicate anywhere else.

The hometown opinion was enough to sway the judge’s ruling.

The Hyphenated Attributive Noun “Home-Town” in British English

The British open compound “home town,” when functioning as an attributive noun, can also include a hyphen. You should not see this in American English writing since it’s already a closed compound. 

We most often see the hyphenated form in academic and professional writing in English from the United Kingdom or those from former British territories or influenced by them.

For example, some Chinese scholars educated in Beijing and Australia made use of the hyphenated “home-town” when presenting at and writing for conferences and seminars. 

At the  International Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining, the group used “home-town” in regards to an interest-based search based on one’s location ( source ). 

A publication by Cambridge University on urban areas in Ghana uses “home-town” throughout the entire paper to describe the way people in the area feel about a central town. 

Even though people in the surrounding areas might not be from the town, they have strong ties to it for a myriad of reasons, making it truly their “home-town” ( source ). 

Notes on Compound Words

Compound words are single words made up of two words. They can be closed, open, or hyphenated. Closed compound words are one word and the most common. For more information on compound words, please see the article on whether it’s “high school” or “highschool” ? 

Closed Compound Words

The following table includes common closed compound words, the two words that combine to make each compound word, and the word’s meaning.

Two-Word and Hyphenated Compound Words

Compound words that keep the two words separate are sometimes harder to spot than closed compound words. Open compound words like “high school” are made of two words that function as one unit. 

Some words remain as open compounds because they are so familiar that there is little risk of confusing their meaning, even when using them as modifiers.

Hyphenated compound words are two words joined by a hyphen. Hyphens are useful for compound words where the meaning of the sentence could change when read without one. 

Consider the difference between “a well known album” and “a well-known album.”

Without the hyphen, it might be unclear whether “well known” or “known album” function as one unit and whether “well” modifies “known” or “album.” Is the album “well? The hyphen makes it clear that the album is “well-known,” meaning many people know of it.

Some compounds are always hyphenated, while others are open compounds that use hyphens when they function as modifiers before a noun. As modifiers that come after the noun they modify, they remain as open compounds without a hyphen.

The following table contains examples of open and hyphenated compound words:

How Compound Words Change Over Time

Compound words can change their form throughout time. In many different languages, there are trends to and from closed and open compounds, as well as hyphens added for clarity. The language, sentence structure, and context all play key roles in how we write compound words. This article was written for strategiesforparents.com.

There are quite a few words in the English language that evolved from hyphenated compounds to closed compounds ( source ). One such example is the evolution of “air-plane” to “airplane” or “teen-ager” to “teenager.” Many newer compound words are hyphenated at first, but then they evolve to become closed compounds.

Final Thoughts

Even though open and closed compound words might seem like completely different types of words, they are just two different ways of spelling out the same meaning. “Hometown” and “home town” are two such examples.

Both words refer to the place where someone was born, raised, or currently resides. One can use “hometown” as a stand-alone noun or attributive noun. When in doubt and writing in American English, “hometown” is the correct choice. In British English, “home town” and “hometown” are used interchangeably. 

“Hometown” is just one of many compound words used to create meaning for ideas and sentences. Unlike a hyphenated compound that needs a hyphen to make the meaning of a sentence clear, open and closed compound words are clear modifiers on their own.

Definition of 'hometown'

hometown in American English

Hometown in british english, examples of 'hometown' in a sentence hometown, related word partners hometown, in other languages hometown.

• American English : hometown / hoʊmˈtaʊn /
• Brazilian Portuguese : terra natal
• Chinese : 家乡
• European Spanish : ciudad natal
• French : ville natale
• German : Heimatstadt
• Italian : città natale
• Japanese : 故郷
• Korean : 고향
• European Portuguese : terra natal
• Spanish : ciudad natal

Browse alphabetically hometown

• homesteader
• homesteading
• homestretch
• hometown club
• hometown hero
• hometown team
• All ENGLISH words that begin with 'H'

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How To Be a Tourist in Your Hometown: 23 Easy Ideas

Grey Globetrotters contains affiliate links and is an Amazon Services LLC Associates Program member. If you make a purchase using one of these Amazon links, I may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. See my Disclosure Policy  for more information.

Do you have moments when time, budget, or other challenges conspire to clip your travel wings when you want to explore? Why not experiment a little and be a  tourist in your hometown ?

It’s a budget-friendly way to be a tourist and discover new places. You’ll also support local businesses, boost your mental health, and get some all-important fresh air and exercise.

Exploring close to home is also a non-threatening stepping stone to solo travel, easing you in gently into the world of exploring on your own.

Being a tourist in your own city might work well if you have accessibility needs that make a trip further afield challenging.

Last but not least, when you check out everything to do in your hometown, you can be the best guide for loved ones when they visit! 

I’m here to show you how rewarding it can be to be a  tourist in your hometown .

You may also enjoy  67 Best Hometown Quotes and Quotes About Your Own City for Instagram

It’s not necessary to go far and wide. I mean, you can find exciting and inspiring things within your hometown. Darryl Hannah

Preparing to Be a Tourist at Home

Make a local bucket list.

Even if you ALWAYS dive into guidebooks when planning big trips, do you do the same for your town or city? Make yourself a local bucket list and a plan to help you live like a tourist and check each item off the list!

Read Voraciously

Check out blog posts and news articles for all of the “10 Things to do in your hometown” posts you can find, plus more in-depth articles about hidden gems you may have missed. Don’t forget to leave a thoughtful comment to tell the blogger what you thought.

Pay It Forward : Spotted something inaccurate about the descriptions for the tourist attractions in your hometown? Do send a quick email so the blogger can update their post. Bloggers always love to connect with their readers! 

23 Ways to be a Tourist in Your Hometown

1. join a walking tour .

A walking tour with a local guide is the best way to get a tourist’s view of your town/city. Guides often provide their services free of charge and are excellent at sharing fascinating local tips and history. If there’s no guided tour, try a self-guided walking tour instead.

2. Capture New Moments and Places

One of the things I’d tell my younger self is ALWAYS to carry a camera – whether you’re exploring like a tourist in your home town or travelling internationally.

You may have more time to experiment with your photography at home. You could focus on architecture one day, or black & white shots, or perhaps night-time scenes.

Photography tours are a fun and social way to develop your photography skills while snagging some great shots.

Alternatively, hire a local photographer (or a photography student) for a few hours. It’s fabulous for getting new photos in your favourite locations while giving back to your local community.

It’s been my belief that learning how to do something in your hometown is the most important thing  Pete Seeger

3. Capture Each End of the Day

Does your town have a famous sunrise or sunset spot? Somewhere you’ve never visited? Checking it out will give you a different perspective, and you may have the place to yourself if sunrise is very early!

Even the most mundane or ugly landscapes can look beautiful when bathed in the rising sun’s light or silhouetted against the sky as the sun sets.

Tip : Sometimes, the sun doesn’t play ball, and it hides behind clouds, but that might give you atmospheric shots of moody skies instead!

4. Museums and Galleries

Large, famous museums and galleries are incredible, but they can be busy and expensive to visit.

Local museums and galleries often have fewer visitors than the more famous places, making them a pleasure to explore at your own pace.

You’ll also need to spend less time exploring these tourist attractions in your hometown, which means more time for coffee stops along the way. Bonus!

5. Ask About Behind-the-Scenes Tours

Some places offer tours that are not usually available to the general public. It never hurts to ask a local business if they run any “Behind-the-Scenes” tours. Local markets and theatres are a good place to ask, as they are full of history.

6. Hire a Bike

Cycling around a city is a great way to get to know it better. You can zip through places where cars can’t go, don’t need to worry about parking, and can stop to investigate all of the tourist attractions in your hometown at your own pace.

7. Visit a Viewpoint

Is there a rooftop bar, a steep hill, or a lookout point in your hometown where you can get a good feel for the city’s scale and layout?

Maybe there’s something quirky like an old water tower or a multi-storey car park?

If you don’t already know where the best viewpoints are, browse through Instagram for inspiration, and then go and check out those superb viewpoints for yourself.

8. Walk a Route You Usually Drive

Hopefully, when you drive, you focus on the road ahead! Even if you do manage to look at the passing scenery, there will be things that you will miss.

Why not walk those familiar routes rather than driving and see what grabs your attention from street level?

It’s a sustainable way to stumble upon quirky shops, independent cafes and new views. You’ll also get to admire any lovely houses in a non-stalker-ish way!

9. Poke Around Old Churches and Cemeteries

I LOVE to visit ancient churches as the architecture is often stunning and very individual. There are many stories to unpick, stained glass windows to admire, choir stalls to try out for size, and soaring ceilings to admire.

Wandering through old cemeteries is also tranquil and relaxing. It can be fun to hunt for the final resting places of famous names.

I loved visiting the church in Howarth, West Yorkshire, where four of the five  Bronte sisters  were laid to rest.

10. Get Out Into the Natural World

Take advantage of the natural sights in or near your hometown.

Is there a great park you can explore or a stately home with a beautiful garden?

Perhaps there’s a forest, a waterfall, or mountains that never made your bucket list before? Add them now, then find out what types of wildlife and plants to look out for when you visit.

11. Explore Waterways 

Is there a river or canal near you to explore, or a lake or beach? You may be able to take a boat ride, hire a rowing boat or go kayaking.

Alternatively, is there a lovely footpath to follow, or could you spend a day at the seaside having a picnic or hunting for  sea glass ?

12. Take a Hike

Take advantage of your time and enjoy seeing your town/city from a different angle. 

13. Pen a City Guide

If you love to write, you could write a city guide with your local knowledge! What are the must-sees? What should people avoid?

From your experience of being a tourist in your hometown, where would you point a visitor if they asked you for recommendations?

If you love writing, you could start a niche travel blog for your city packed with tips, itineraries, photos or video guides.

14. Trace the Footsteps of a Literary Legend

Have any novels been set in your city, or was it the hometown of any famous writers? Why not visit some of the locations connected with those novels?

15. Visit a Movie Location.

Harry Potter movie locations litter the UK. I’m slowly ticking beautiful places like  Durham Cathedral  off my bucket list to spot them!

Find movies made in your hometown quickly and easily by searching Google for “movies made in…”.

16. Track Down a Historical Figure

Did someone famous (or infamous) come from your hometown or city? Is there a tour or trail related to them that you can follow? In London,  Jack the Ripper tours  are always popular.

Top Tip : Type [your town/city name famous historical residents] into Google to discover a fascinating figure from your hometown’s past. 

Your local library (or your sofa) is a great place to research those local connections and then build a tour of locations to visit and photograph.

17. Climb a Bell Tower 

Most bell towers are ancient structures, and they are fascinating to visit to discover how the bells work! In the UK and countries worldwide with an Anglican or Catholic tradition, bells are usually rung by bell-ringers. In contrast, other countries have an ancient tradition of chiming or striking bells.

Check to see whether your local church or cathedral offers public or private bell tower tours, but don’t forget to ask how many steps you’ll need to climb to get up there!

Read More: How to Visit the Great Bell Tower in Xi’an, China

18. Go on an Instagram Treasure Hunt

Type your hometown into an Instagram search to see which attractions have the most posts. Make a selfie treasure hunt to see how many places you can capture – in a day or longer. Time is on your side in your home town.

Is there a location you love? Experiment with visiting at different times of the day or in different seasons to build up a photo montage of the same spot.

19. Delve Into the Local Art Scene

I’m no artist, but I love seeing (and buying) the work of talented local artists. Let’s face it, I’m never going to be able to buy original art from the Louvre or the Prado. Still, I can purchase work that I enjoy locally.

Search for local art galleries, exhibitions and craft centres where you can browse through the work of local artists. Bonus points if they have a tearoom!

How to Eat like a Tourist in Your Hometown

Finding great new places to eat is one of the joys of travel, and you can do this at home too.

20. Drop into Independent Coffee Shops and Tea Rooms

One of the best ways to be a responsible traveller is to seek out and support local, independent businesses. Is there a great little coffee shop, tea room or deli near you? Treat yourself to a visit – and maybe buy a cheeky little treat for later too!

21. Take a Brewery/Winery/Distillery Tour

Many towns and cities have vineyards , wineries, breweries or distilleries you could visit. For a fantastic day out as a tourist in your own town, look for tours, tastings, or cocktail-making classes and learn all about the booze business while sampling the products!

22. Be a Tourist With Your Palate

There may be places in your town or city that locals tend to avoid, but tourists seem to love. Live like a tourist and use TripAdvisor to find which restaurants visitors recommend the most.

Book a table to see what the buzz is all about. It’s a thoughtful way to support independent local businesses and a great way to try a new cuisine or restaurant.

Alternatively, check out the street food scene in your town. Is there a world cuisine you’ve never tried or a street vendor selling a local speciality you’ve never bought from? Give it a try!

23. Book a Staycation

“Staycationing” close to home is another way to support your local economy while being a tourist in your own town. Is there a highly-rated local hotel or guesthouse? What about a quirky B&B or a fabulous campsite?

Hosts can be an invaluable source of recommendations and tips for things to do too. Check out great experiences as a tourist in your own city here !

In Conclusion

There could be lots you’ve either not seen or done yet in your hometown/city. So, even if international travel is off the cards, you can still live like a tourist and fuel your passion for travel.

If you’re ready to be a tourist in your hometown, grab your favourite holiday clothes, leave your day-to-day cares behind and have fun! 

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Coralie Thornton, the owner and author of Grey Globetrotters, has been a traveller for more than four decades. Today, she helps others experience the UK, Europe and bucketlist destinations with meticulously crafted guides and affordable luxury itineraries, Her passion for adventure has led her through over 40 countries, seeking cultural experiences, delicious foods, and hidden gems.

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the town or city in which a person lives or was born, or from which a person comes.

of or relating to a hometown: a hometown welcome.

Origin of hometown

Words nearby hometown.

• homestretch
• “Home, Sweet Home”
• home teacher

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use hometown in a sentence

It was also interpreted as a reference to the world-famous Carnaval de Barranquilla, which is held in Shakira’s hometown in Colombia.

Instead, she took it back to her hometown of Omaha and directed the spotlight on her older sister, Lacey Lamar.

This January luxury, you might think, must occur in California or Florida, but Jabbour gardens in her hometown of Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Teams are set in local markets so fans can support their hometown .

He spent the next three years playing in the Kontinental Hockey League in Russia for his hometown team.

During the height of his disenchantment, he visited his hometown where an old friend gave him some liquid acid.

That side is volunteering extensively in his hometown of Flint, and recently, pastoring Charity United Methodist Church.

Meanwhile, their Missouri hometown appears to be on the brink of chaos.

On Sunday, Saban said he often writes letters to the editors of his hometown paper, the Los Angeles Times.

Darren Deon Vann's hometown has 10,000 abandoned houses, more than enough for him to hide six bodies.

But my other waitresses wanted to get back to their hometown , and they left early—before we did.

This sounds like another beer cheese, but it's only a mild Cheddar named after its hometown in Dorsetshire.

hometown , owing to some early local faction, is divided into two sections, forming two distinct towns.

The author's genuine interest in his hometown folk never waned.

Amos Shoopegg is a type of a large class of the native element of hometown .

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Definition of hometown noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

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Deconstructing the hometown visit

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“Hometown”: a word with a seemingly straightforward definition, bringing to mind elements of one’s childhood and the relationships that shaped it. In college — especially a college with a large student body, like the University of Michigan’s healthy diversity of in-state versus out-of-state students — the concept of a hometown adopts an entirely new meaning. This is precisely because every student’s perceptions of their hometown are distinct, molded by their unique experiences. 

This fascination (and maybe an added desire to visit a new place) drives many to embark on journeys to their college friends’ hometowns. These hometown visits are an opportunity to discover the roots of your closest friends, to see why they are who they are, or why they’ve come into college looking for change or expansion. It’s an intriguing part of relationship-building, immersing yourself in the lifestyle of someone close to you, a concept that has even been codified among prominent pop culture franchises like “The Bachelor.”

But whether you’re hosting or visiting, hometown visits can be jarring, like puzzle pieces belonging to different sets that are pushed together in the hopes of fitting. It can seem as if individuals from your friends’ lives have suddenly been copied and pasted into your own.

The idea of taking college friends to a childhood home can present a cocktail of emotions: stress, excitement, fear or even embarrassment. There is an inherent privilege in being able to bring people home and enfold them within a piece of your past. For some, parents or relatives scattered across multiple homes or cities may complicate the idea of hosting school friends. For others, it can be anxiety-inducing to go back to a childhood home where they cannot express their true identity. If family or hometown community members don’t support expression of one’s gender or sexuality , returning to these places may drain individuals of energy or a sense of safety.

The word “hometown” may feel like a contradiction if the place where someone grew up wasn’t always welcoming enough to call “home.”

I am fortunate enough to feel comfortable returning home and to possess strong relationships with members of my immediate family, as are several of my college friends. Over the past year, I’ve been able to go on and host my own hometown visits with the people I’ve met in college. Whether I spent an evening or a week in these new environments, each has granted me a glimpse into the lives of those I’ve really only known for a couple years but feel as if I’ve known for much longer. The biggest thing I’ve learned from these mini-vacations is this: Hometown visits can leave very different impressions, depending on the character of people’s relationships with their communities of origin and especially with the people within these communities. 

College is a time characterized by change, where many develop into different versions of themselves. And past and present versions of self collide on hometown trips — so is this clash discordant or harmonious? Can it be both? What does this imply about your friends, your relationships with them? And is it really so bad if the mixing of worlds isn’t completely effortless?

Preparing for the visit

There really isn’t a surefire way to prepare for a hometown visit. Like any trip, logistics are always important (timeline, lodging, food, budget, activities), especially if you’re the one hosting. But there is no way to completely predict how you — or your college guests — will interact with the “other” group: your family and high school friends. The best thing to do is get an idea of the setting and the characters of the people you’ll run into during your stay.

I grew up in the suburbs of a Midwestern city, like many of my friends, so their descriptions of their hometowns were short and to the point. They shared their favorite restaurants, commercial areas, parks or attractions in nearby urban areas that we could explore as part of our visit. They coordinated with their parents about meals and activities. One of my friends even sent a daily itinerary and packing list, just to be clear on the plan. 

These preparatory details are fairly characteristic of all trips. But the most distinguishing detail of the hometown trip is preparing specifically for the people : how your friends act around them, what you might talk about and the attitudes of everyone you may meet.

Mental preparation on both the hosts’ and the guests’ behalf often coincides with logistical readiness. My friends have had varied reactions to bringing their University buddies back to their hometowns. While they all have strong relationships with their families, the prospect of actually making the trip back, to spending prolonged periods of time in a place they had largely grown out of, make some wary to return. 

One way to clarify a friend’s relationship with their hometown is to take note of the verbiage they use to describe it. In one conversation with my roommate, I struggled to find the words to describe my childhood home. He had said “your parents’ house” while I settled on “my home home.” Even though I’ve only lived there about two months thus far in 2022, I still mentally classify it as my personal headquarters. The degrees of separation from hometowns are extremely varied in college as the concept of independence takes on different forms.

On one of my overnight stays, I got into my host’s car, ready for the multiple-hour drive, and sensed that his emotions were somewhat unreadable, his mind occupied. Though he was very close with his extended family, he told me on the drive back to school that being with his family stressed him out. He was someone used to living independently and self-sufficiently, not needing to be directly in the vicinity of his childhood home. 

One of my other friends outlined how I and another college guest would be spending ample time with their entire family, a normal and enjoyable prospect for them — while I mentally energized my introverted self for a night of extensive socializing. On a different occasion, I watched a friend remove the nail polish from his fingers in preparation for a hometown visit, not wanting to deal with the comments his family might make if they saw it on him. Another, whose hometown I still have never been to, said many months ago that she would take us there for an hour and then would want to come back to Ann Arbor. 

The mental preparation for taking on a hometown visit, whether you are visiting or hosting, is extremely subjective. Absorb the information given to you, directly or indirectly, about the energy and relationships you might encounter. But the only way to truly experience a hometown visit is to dive right in.

During the visits: Some snippets

I shoved the chicken-infused filling into the dumpling wrapper, careful not to put too much — or even worse, too little — into the delicious pocket, lest it break when it was boiled. I carefully folded the dough into a half-moon shape, pinching the ends delicately so it would close without ripping. It was delicate work, and the people surrounding me, who had been cooking this delicacy for years, were watching closely. I wondered if they thought they would have to swoop in to save me. 

I was stressed. Though I kept up positive chatter, I felt like if I messed up, they might think me inept, incapable. This might seem like a ridiculous thought, especially knowing how nice my roommate’s parents were. Though I had met them more than a handful of times, I was genuinely uncertain about their judgment of my character based on this task, now that I was in their home. There is an inherent intimacy bred from entering someone’s house, that because I was an outsider, more scrutiny could be placed on me if I didn’t fit into their expectations.

I had an incredibly enjoyable night at my roommate’s childhood home and always love to return, but the idea that I had to prove myself kept asserting itself in my mind. As a fairly new entry into my roommate’s circle of friends, I felt as if I had to make up for lost time. I had to be the perfect guest.

After the four-hour drive, my tired mind was completely unprepared for the influx of people buzzing around my friend, Noah’s, home. Our other college friend, Anna, and I were immediately introduced to his parents, brothers, grandparents (who lived next door) and several family friends, the group growing larger as the night progressed. We all went to work preparing the build-your-own taco feast for dinner, an activity I was grateful for as it gave me something to do, some way to make myself useful.

This was an incredibly close-knit, interactive family. Most of them lived down the road from each other, the rest lived a fairly short drive away and were constantly returning to this place of gathering, eating and spending time together.

I’m fairly close to my immediate family, but here was a group who saw their extended family on a regular, if not daily, basis. They updated each other on developments in their lives, as was made clear by their flowing and uninterrupted conversations. There was a clear, shared familiarity that I was trying to make sense of while also attempting to partake in the communal energy. It was an arduous task for someone not used to making good-natured jabs at loved ones, entering into a large group of conversants with confidence.

The next time I visited, I was prepared for the open interactions. I was able to participate meaningfully, even if it wasn’t the dynamic I was used to in my own home. I accepted that I couldn’t force a connection in two days that they had developed over decades.

On the first and only hometown visit I’ve hosted myself, I felt I needed to bridge the gap between my friend from college, Anna, and my high school friends, who knew nearly every detail of my adolescence. As the facilitator, the only common link, I felt responsible for the others’ experiences, on both sides. As if each person were a reflection of myself, each interaction — good or bad — my own doing.

One night, we had a sleepover with two of my best friends from high school. We talked at length; many events and details of our high school life were brought up, as was natural among people with that particular shared experience. If I ever felt like my friend from school was quiet or disengaged with discussions on events and people she didn’t know, I would extend myself to clue her in on conversations — maybe even more than was necessary. I remained overly peppy and enthusiastic about everything in an effort to mask any awkwardness that might arise.

There is a type of pressure on participants of a hometown visit that I hadn’t considered before I entered the thick of the interactions. My perfectionistic attitude definitely plays a role in creating this discordant energy within myself. Yet, the awkwardness makes perfect sense. Some people are more comfortable than others when meeting new people — but there are bound to be moments of uncertainty or incompatibility, a consequence of embedding yourself within a group of people who have known each other for years.

I hadn’t realized how different the energy of my friends from high school was compared to those in college before they were sitting in a room together. I enjoy interacting with both groups — but that is what they are: two separate groups. Maybe I needed different types of people around me, supporting me, as I took on life’s challenges at different points in my life. 

After the Visit

Reflection: an optional, but surely enticing component of the hometown visit process. Interacting with those who have known your friends their entire lives and physically seeing the markers of their young life for yourself can feel somewhat surreal. You recognize that they have a personal history, as everyone does, but you can’t necessarily process it until you experience it.

Throughout college, engulfed in this stage of young adulthood, a strange period in between early development and what’s referred to as “the rest of our lives,” there’s a distinctly curious interest in learning about the experiences of those around you. About who they were before you knew them as classmates, roommates or even chosen family members. 

This is an especially critical component of the reflective process after a hometown visit: ensuring that the visit — or lack thereof — does not replace the shared values and experiences that built your individual relationship. The hometown visit can grant an insight into who your friends were. It can also demonstrate the evolution that they’ve gone through to become who they are when earlier influences aren’t around. And bringing someone to your own hometown can reveal how you yourself have changed, if old and new friends don’t necessarily blend right away. Or at all.

Even if their family life or friend groups don’t resemble my own, I have gotten a taste for the pace of life, the types of exchanges and experiences that marked my friends’ development and played some sort of role in making them them . It seems like I’ve been in college for ages, that I’ve known my current friends for ages after spending almost every day with them. But the linear and ever-evolving nature of people’s lives is not truly revealed unless we experience some part of it for ourselves. 

Is it truly necessary to peek into the pasts of your college friends? Probably not — you’re friends with them, now, for a reason. But it’s not until we consider the different environments and relationships in our own lives, between our childhoods and now, that we discover how much we’ve truly grown.

Statement Correspondent Sarah Stolar can be reached at [email protected].

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• hometown honeys
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• hometown hunny
• hometown hunnys
• Hometown Legislative Action Day
• Hometown News Release
• Hometown News Release Program
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• HomeTown Sports and News
• hometraining
• Hometronic Internet Module
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An Artificial Intelligent English Learning Platform

8 Helpful Idioms For Hometown

English Idioms for Hometown, expressions and proverbs are an important part of the English language, both spoken and written English are filled with them.

For people learning English idioms for Hometown are difficult to comprehend, the reason being Idioms don’t make literal sense.

To learn the meanings and usage of idioms, English students must practice and familiarize themselves with their everyday usage.

The team at Lillypad understands the pain and difficulties English Learners confront comprehending the true meaning and right usage. This idioms list of Hometown makes learning easygoing, with common Hometown idioms, definitions, and example sentences that clarify the meaning.

Learning to use common idioms and expressions will make your English sound more native, so it’s a good idea to master some of these expressions with daily practice, so bookmark this page or share it with your friends; now let us learn about idioms for Hometown together.

Idioms for Hometown with Meanings, Definitions & Example Sentences

1. there’s no place like home, definition and meaning: there’s no place like home.

The expression “ there’s no place like home” means that there is no other place that is as good as one’s home.

There’s No Place Like Home Example Sentences:

• There’s no place like home when you’re feeling sick.
• I always go back because there’s no place like home.
• There’s no place like home when you’re feeling tired.
• I miss my mother’s cooking and there’s no place like home.
• There’s no place like home when you’re feeling stressed.

2. Home Is Where The Heart Is

Definition and meaning: home is where the heart is.

The expression “home is where the heart is” means that the place where you feel most comfortable and happy is your home.

Home Is Where The Heart Is Example Sentences:

• I may not have a lot of material possessions, but home is where the heart is.
• No matter where life takes me, I’ll always remember that home is where the heart is.
• Home is where the heart is, and it’s where we all want to be.
• She felt secure here because home is where the heart is.

3. A Man’s Home Is His Castle

Definition and meaning: a man’s home is his castle.

The expression “a man’s home is his castle” is an idiom that means a man’s home is his own private domain where he is free to do as he pleases.

A Man’s Home Is His Castle Example Sentences:

• A man’s home is his castle, and he should be able to relax in it however he likes.
• It’s important to respect a man’s home as his castle – nobody likes to be invaded.
• A man’s home is his castle, so be sure to take your shoes off before entering!
• If you don’t want to do something, just remember that a man’s home is his castle.
• When it comes to home improvement projects, a man’s home is his castle – so do whatever you want!

4. Make Yourself At Home

Definition and meaning: make yourself at home.

The expression “make yourself at home” is a polite way of telling someone that they are welcome to do whatever they need to do in order to feel comfortable.

Make Yourself At Home Example Sentences:

• Please make yourself at home while I finish cooking dinner.
• I’m so glad you’re here! Make yourself at home and I’ll get us some drinks.
• I hope you’re comfortable Make yourself at home and let me know if you need anything.
• Relax and make yourself at home I’ll be back in a few minutes.
• I’m just going to put my things away Make yourself at home and I’ll be right back.

5. Hit Close To Home

Definition and meaning: hit close to home.

The expression “hit close to home” means something affects someone personally.

Hit Close To Home Example Sentences:

• I laughed at what he said because it hit close to home.
• What you said hits close to home and made me realize some things.
• This movie hits close to home. It’s painful to watch.

6. Hit The Town

Definition and meaning: hit the town.

The expression “hit the town” means to spend time at a place, usually in a city.

Hit The Town Example Sentences:

• I’m hitting the town with my friends tonight.
• We will all hit the town together this weekend to unwind.
• Let’s hit the town tonight and eat at the restaurant.

7. One-horse Town

Definition and meaning: one-horse town.

The expression “one-horse town” means a small, rural community with a single business or industry.

One-horse Town Example Sentences:

• I choose to stay in this one-horse town while others leave.
• She bought a house in a one-horse town for a quiet life away from the city.
• We left our one-horse town for better work opportunities.
• There’s not much to do in that one-horse town.

8. Home Sick

Definition and meaning: homesick.

When someone is “homesick , “ it means they are missing their family, friends, or familiar surroundings. The term was coined by

Homesick Example Sentences:

• Some people feel homesick while travelling abroad.
• It’s been two weeks since my husband saw our kids. He’s starting to get homesick.
• He will go home for Christmas because he feels homesick after a year away from his family.

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IELTS Speaking Vocabulary Hometowns

Where you grew up is a huge part of most people's personality. As a result, it is something that comes up frequently in the IELTS exam. It is especially common in IELTS speaking, but you might also see it in the other sections. On this page, you can find practice questions on hometowns, hometowns band…

Hometowns Speaking Practice Questions

• Where is your hometown?
• How often do you visit your hometown?
• If someone was visiting your hometown, where would you take them?
• Are there any famous foods from your hometown?
• What is the worst thing about your hometown?
• What is the best thing about your hometown?
• What changes would you make to your hometown?

Describe your hometown. You should say:

• Where it is located,
• What it is known for,
• What the climate is like,
• And give your opinion of your hometown.
• Is it better to grow up in a big city or the countryside?
• How can where someone grew up change their personality?
• How do parents decide on a hometown for their children?
• Why do some people feel very attached to their hometown?
• How has your hometown changed over the last 30 years?

Hometowns band nine sample answers

HOMETOWNS IELTS Vocabulary

These words and phrases are taken from the sample answer video. I’ve written them below in the same order they appear in the video.

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Meaning of hometown – Learner’s Dictionary

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(Definition of hometown from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Translations of hometown

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• Request for Leave to Visit Hometown

Looking to visit your hometown and need to take time off from work or school? Our expertly crafted leave application templates can help you communicate your request clearly and concisely, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free process. Choose from our selection of templates and customize with your personal details and request dates. We're here to make your trip stress-free.

Subject: Request for Leave to Visit Hometown

Dear [Manager's Name],

I am writing to request a leave of absence for [Number of Days] days, starting from [Start Date] to [End Date], to visit my hometown.

During my absence, I will ensure that all my pending work is completed and will hand over my duties to my colleague. I have already discussed this with my supervisor and made sure that there will be no negative impact on the work.

Thank you for considering my request.

[Your Name]

Subject: Leave Application to Go to Hometown

Dear [HR's Name],

I am writing to request [Number of Days] days of leave, starting from [Start Date] to [End Date], to visit my hometown.

I understand the importance of my role in the company and will ensure that all my work is completed before I leave. I will also hand over my duties to a colleague who will be responsible for my tasks during my absence.

I hope you will consider my request and approve my leave.

Subject: Request for Time Off to Visit Hometown

Dear [Supervisor's Name],

I assure you that all my work will be completed and handed over to my colleague before I leave. I have also discussed my absence with my team members and ensured that my duties will be covered in my absence.

I appreciate your understanding and hope that you will consider my request.

Subject: Leave Request to Visit Hometown

During my absence, I will ensure that all my work is completed and handed over to my colleague. I have already informed my team members about my leave and ensured that they are aware of their responsibilities in my absence.

I hope that you will approve my leave request.

Subject: Leave Application for Visiting Hometown

I have arranged for my work to be completed by my colleagues in my absence and ensured that my clients and team members are informed about my leave. I will also complete any pending work before I leave and ensure a smooth handover of my duties.

I hope you will approve my leave request.

We are delighted to extend our professional proofreading and writing services to cater to all your business and professional requirements, absolutely free of charge at Englishtemplates.com . Should you need any email, letter, or application templates, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at englishtemplates.com. Kindly leave a comment stating your request, and we will ensure to provide the necessary template at the earliest.

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Music Interviews

28-year-old conductor klaus mäkelä will lead the chicago symphony orchestra.

Ari Shapiro

Tom Huizenga

Finnish conductor Klaus Mäkelä has just been announced as the next music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Francois Guillot/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Finnish conductor Klaus Mäkelä has just been announced as the next music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Klaus Mäkelä has a lot on his plate — or more accurately, podium. With leading roles conducting orchestras in Oslo, Paris and Amsterdam, he's been called the fastest-rising maestro of his generation. On Tuesday, the young Finnish conductor was announced as the next music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra .

He's 28 years old.

When he officially takes over the CSO in the fall of 2027, he will become the youngest music director in the ensemble's 133-year history.

Composer Anna Clyne, a radical melodist with a painter's eye

In 2020, the Oslo Philharmonic offered Mäkelä the position of chief conductor after only a single visit leading the orchestra. In Amsterdam, where Mäkelä also takes over in 2027, a violinist for the revered Concertgebouw Orchestra told The New York Times that "after three minutes, it was very clear we were dealing with the most precocious conducting talent we've seen in the past 50 or 75 years."

Mäkelä first conducted the Chicago musicians in 2022 and returned a year later. CSO bassoonist William Buchman said the players immediately felt something special.

"From Mäkelä's first moments on the podium, the musicians of the orchestra recognized that we were working with a conductor of extraordinary ability," he said.

From Orchestra Hall in Chicago, on the day the announcement was made, Mäkelä, now the official music director-designate, took time away from the excitement to talk with NPR's Ari Shapiro about his dreams of becoming a conductor at age 7, the challenges of leading multiple orchestras on two continents, and food tips for the Windy City.

This interview was edited for length and clarity.

Ari Shapiro: You've said that different orchestras are like different characters. How would you describe the character of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra?

Klaus Mäkelä: I fell in love with the orchestra from the first rehearsal. It's an orchestra which has an enormous appetite for perfection and for brilliance of sound. And I was completely mesmerized by it. It's an orchestra which has this shine to it, intensity, strength. And they're wonderful [musicians] to work with.

What do you think you gain by collaborating with different orchestras on different continents that may be thousands of miles apart from each other?

It's really an honor and I learn so much. When I have the Chicago Symphony and the Concertgebouw Orchestra, from 2027 onward, it's so fascinating because they could not be more different, but they're both equally amazing. They have completely different histories, completely different halls where they're playing and different societies.

Does that mean you take a different approach to conducting them?

Absolutely. I have to be myself, but I also have to be, in some ways, two different conductors, because in the end, the conductor's job is to be useful and try to improve things as much as you can. And that means you have to be flexible in order to get the best results.

Can you give us an example?

It comes down to even technical things, how you conduct. For example, here in Chicago, the orchestra plays very much to my beat. In Amsterdam, there is quite a strong delay, which has to do with the acoustic of the hall and the tradition of the orchestra, and that already gives a very different sound. So how I give an upbeat is already very different. It also comes down to repertoire, which kind of pieces one should play, which kind of things one should improve, what kind of things one should preserve, because that's very important — to preserve the core personality of the orchestra.

I'm just thinking about the level of sensitivity and perceptiveness that it takes to be that tuned in to such a large ensemble, to know that if you give the upbeat this way in Amsterdam and this way in Chicago, you're going to get two different results.

One learns when one does it. Of course, you can never be perfect, but you try to match the wavelength, the frequency of optimizations. And in the end, it is working with people. And that's my favorite part of it.

Is there any risk of spreading yourself too thin, of not putting down roots in the hometown of the orchestra that you lead?

I try to feel at home wherever I am. Especially after 2027, when my contract begins here and in Amsterdam, I will really be at home here and in Amsterdam equally. I will be fully invested in the city of Chicago and in the orchestra. I need to feel at home as much as the [musicians] need to feel that I am present here.

The young Finnish conductor Klaus Mäkelä, leading the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He is now the ensemble's music director-designate. Todd Rosenberg /Chicago Symphony Orchestra hide caption

The young Finnish conductor Klaus Mäkelä, leading the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He is now the ensemble's music director-designate.

Have you tried the Chicago hotdog or the deep-dish pizza yet?

Thank you for asking. I should try. The thing is, I do not eat red meat, but I think I will be very tempted and probably will try.

You have also been recording music, and you're only the third conductor who's been signed to the legendary Decca record label in the last 90 years. Your debut was a full set of all seven symphonies by Jean Sibelius . Why did you choose him?

I love Sibelius' music and, for me, to make recordings is a dream. I love the process of recording — preparing, post-production, everything about it. And Sibelius, with the Oslo Philharmonic, was, in a way, a natural thing to do. It was repertoire which is in my DNA. It was in the orchestra's DNA and it was wonderful to do it together.

Your parents are both music teachers. Your first instrument was the cello. And I understand you started conducting when you were 7 years old, when you were in the first grade. I think a lot of 7-year-olds wave their hands in the air along with music, but do you remember what that first experience was like for you?

I was singing the Children's Choir of the Finnish National Opera, and then I saw a conductor in the performance. And it was just enormous, I was so fascinated that the conductor was able to play that music, in a way — like you play a piece on an instrument. I kept dreaming about it. I listened to the music, tried to read scores, but of course I didn't understand anything. And then, when I was 12, I started studying conducting at the Sibelius Academy with Jorma Panula, the great Finnish conducting teacher. And that's where it started.

I've heard someone describe conducting as "throwing energy around a room." How would you describe it?

That's fantastic. I love that. That's a very good description.

That came from Jacob Collier .

He is very cool. I think my job is to make people play better. And it's working with people — and every day is different, everybody's different. You have to aim for the highest results, and it's such a privilege because we work with the best pieces of music every day, and it never gets dull. It only gets better.

You've clearly got such a passion for the repertoire, but the typical audience member for an orchestra concert is about 30 years older than you. What do you think it'll take to get more people of your generation engaged in the kind of music you make?

I'm hopeful because I think the experience of a concert is, in a way, very 2024 — a very unique experience, happens only once, every night is different. And it comes down to how to curate an experience which makes people very excited and very engaged. As an audience member, I love going to concerts. I went last night to hear the Bach concert at the Chicago Symphony and I loved it. I sat down, I was without my phone. I didn't know anything was happening in the world. I was just in the moment, listening. And it gave me so much. What art gives us is something so timeless and so eternal, and those are the values which last. It's the complete opposite of the kind of "use once" culture of today.

And yet younger audiences are not arriving. What do you think it's going to take to make the case you've just made, to them?

It has to do with repertoire and if you create a nice experience. It's a little bit like a museum, where you put together a fine lineup of works in a way that's engaging. It's irresistible. And for us, it's amazing because we practically have all the paintings in our collection. We can choose however we want to put them together, we just have to find the right order.

Do you ever feel like when you're walking into a room with musicians who may be old enough to be your parents or grandparents, there is a higher bar you have to clear to prove yourself?

Not really, because the only responsibility I have is for the composer. And that's what I battle with every day. Do I understand enough of the piece in order to present it? And of course, before you go in front of the orchestra, you have to make sure that you have a full concept of what you want to achieve. But that's my responsibility and that's what I think about more than other expectations.

You're going to be spending so many hours on airplanes going between Amsterdam and Chicago. How do you spend that time in that little cocoon in the air?

Well, first of all, I feel very bad because it's not very environmentally friendly. And I hope there will be some alternatives in my lifetime. But I sleep a lot, and I study. And actually, I'm the worst at answering messages and I feel very bad about it, and when I fly I answer all the messages I haven't answered before.

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© Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Back to School: What's 'Cool' New England Patriots Legend Bill Belichick Doing On Campus?

Bill Belichick may not have a head coaching job this season, but that doesn't mean he's sat idly by as some college teams prepare for the upcoming year ahead.

• Author: Nick Faria

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The New England Patriots made the decision to move on from Bill Belichick shortly after the 2023 regular season came to an end. Since then, the coaching legend hasn't been quiet about making the rounds for other franchises and college programs.

This past week, the eight-time Super Bowl champion coach for the Patriots and New York Giants made his latest trip to Washington for a two-pronged reason. First, Belichick was the key note speaker at a coaches clinic for the Huskies as they began Spring Workouts this week. The plan was for Belichick to join his former assistant Jedd Fisch where he would watch practice and then speak to players.

Jan 11, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots former head coach Bill Belichick holds a

Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

There's another reason why Belichick would possibly chose to come to Washington in the first place - his son Steve.

The oldest son of Belichick's children, Steve took a position with the Huskies as the defensive coordinator for the Nation runner-ups last season.

"It's cool. I'm glad he got to come out here," Belichick said. "I look up to him in so many different areas but to have him out here to lean on is awesome."

It has been a tumultuous offseason for the Belichick family as a whole. The youngest brother Brian has chosen to remain with the Patriots organization as they turn to Jerod Mayo to lead the franchise in the future. Bill, on the other hand, has had to deal with the fall-out from Apple's "The Dynasty" in which his coaching and overall legacy were called into question by Patriots owner Robert Kraft and several former players.

If he was worried about it, though, the 71-year-old isn't showing it. At the very least, he continues to be active around the football landscape.

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Your last-minute guide to Monday's total solar eclipse

A total solar eclipse will cross North America on Monday , offering millions a rare opportunity to see afternoon skies temporarily darken as the moon blocks the face of the sun.

Tune into NBC News NOW as Lester Holt hosts a two-hour special at 2 p.m. ET Monday from Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The eclipse's path fortuitously cuts across Mexico, 15 U.S. states and a small part of eastern Canada. In all other states in the continental U.S., viewers will be treated to a partial solar eclipse, with the moon appearing to take a bite out of the sun and obscuring part of its light.

Here’s everything you need to know about the rare celestial event.

What is a solar eclipse?

Solar eclipses occur when the sun, moon and Earth align. The moon passes between Earth and sun, temporarily blocking the sun’s light and casting a shadow on Earth.

A total solar eclipse is when the moon fully obscures the sun, whereas a partial solar eclipse means it blocks just a portion of the sun’s face.

Solar eclipses occur only with the new moon. Because the moon’s orbit around Earth is tilted, the three bodies don’t always line up in a way that creates an eclipse.

“Imagine if the moon’s orbit were in the plane of Earth’s orbit around the sun — if that were the case, then every new moon, you’d have a total solar eclipse and every full moon, you’d have a lunar eclipse,” Neil DeGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History, told NBC News. “So, because things don’t always align, it lends to the rarity of the event and the specialness of the event.”

Where and when will the eclipse be visible?

This year’s eclipse will follow a slightly wider path over more populated areas of the continental U.S. than other total solar eclipses have in the recent past.

NASA estimates that 31.6 million people live within what’s known as the path of totality, where the total solar eclipse will be visible. An additional 150 million people live within 200 miles of the path, according to the agency.

The path travels through Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Tiny parts of Michigan and Tennessee will also be able to witness totality if conditions are clear.

After the eclipse crosses into Canada, it will pass over southern Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton, at the eastern end of Nova Scotia.

Those outside the path of totality can still take part in the astronomical event by viewing a partial solar eclipse — visible throughout all 48 states of the contiguous U.S. — or a NASA livestream.

The timing, including how long totality lasts, depends on the location, but some spots will see the moon fully cover the sun for up to 4 minutes and 28 seconds.

Below is a list of timings for some cities along the path of totality, as  provided by NASA . A number of other resources, including NationalEclipse.com  and  TimeandDate.com , can also help people plan.

• Dallas: Partial eclipse begins at 12:23 p.m. CT and totality at 1:40 p.m.
• Little Rock, Arkansas: Partial eclipse begins at 12:33 p.m. CT and totality at 1:51 p.m.
• Cleveland: Partial eclipse begins at 1:59 p.m. ET and totality at 3:13 p.m.
• Buffalo, New York: Partial eclipse begins at 2:04 p.m. ET and totality at 3:18 p.m.
• Lancaster, New Hampshire: Partial eclipse begins at 2:16 p.m. ET and totality at 3:27 p.m.

How to safely view a solar eclipse

It is never safe to gaze directly at the sun, even when it is partly or mostly covered by the moon. Special eclipse glasses or  pinhole projectors  are required to safely view solar eclipses and prevent eye damage. Failing to take the proper precautions can result in severe eye injury,  according to NASA .

Eclipse glasses are thousands of times darker than normal sunglasses and specially made to enable wearers to look at the sun during these kinds of celestial events.

Sky-watchers should also never view any part of the sun through binoculars, telescopes or camera lenses unless they have specific solar filters attached. Eclipse glasses should not be used with these devices, as they will not provide adequate protection.

However, during the few minutes of totality, when the moon is fully blocking the sun, it is safe to look with the naked eye.

Beware of fake eclipse glasses. On legitimate pairs, the lenses should have a silver appearance on the front and be black on the inside. The manufacturer’s name and address should be clearly labeled, and they should not be torn or punctured. Check, as well, for the ISO logo and the code “IS 12312-2” printed on the inside.

If you don’t have eclipse glasses, you can make a homemade pinhole projector, which lets sunlight in through a small hole, focuses it and projects it onto a piece of paper, wall or other surface to create an image of the sun that is safe to look at. 

All you need is two pieces of white cardboard or plain white paper, aluminum foil and a pin or thumbtack. Cut a 1- to 2-inch square or rectangle out of the center of a piece of white paper or cardboard. Tape aluminum foil over that cut-out shape, then use a pin or thumbtack to poke a tiny hole in the foil.

During the eclipse, place a second piece of white paper or cardboard on the ground as a screen and hold the projector with the foil facing up and your back to the sun. Adjusting how far you hold the projector from the second piece of paper will alter the size of the image on the makeshift screen.

What to look for while viewing the total solar eclipse

For people along the path of totality, there are some fun milestones to keep track of as the total solar eclipse unfolds.

As the eclipse progresses and the sun gets thinner in the sky, it will start to get eerily dark, according to Tyson.

When the last beams of sunlight are about to become obscured, look out for the “diamond ring effect”: The sun’s atmosphere will appear as an illuminated halo, and the last light still visible will look like the diamond of a giant ring.

As the sunlight decreases even further, an effect known as Baily’s beads will be created by the moon’s rugged terrain. Tiny “beads” of light will be visible for only a few seconds around the dark moon, as the last bits of sunlight peer through the moon’s mountains and valleys.

When the moon is fully blocking the sun, it is safe to remove eclipse glasses and look at the total solar eclipse with the naked eye.

Some lucky sky-watchers may even catch a glimpse of a comet .

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks — nicknamed the “ devil comet ” because an eruption last year left it with two distinct trails of gas and ice in the shape of devil horns — is currently visible from the Northern Hemisphere as it swings through the inner solar system.

The comet can be seen in the early evenings by gazing toward the west-northwest horizon. During the eclipse, when skies darken during totality, it may be possible to see the comet near Jupiter, but its visibility will depend on whether it’s in the middle of an outburst and thus brighter than normal.

Most likely, all eyes will be on the alignment of the moon and sun.

“Most people won’t even notice,” Tyson said. “But if you know to look, it’s there.”

When is the next solar eclipse?

The next total solar eclipse will be in 2026, but it will mostly pass over the Arctic Ocean, with some visibility in Greenland, Iceland, Portugal and northern Spain. In 2027, a total solar eclipse will be visible in Spain and a swath of northern Africa.

The next total solar eclipse visible from North America will be in 2033, but only over Alaska. Then in 2044, a total solar eclipse will cross Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, parts of Canada and Greenland.

The next total solar eclipse to cross the continental U.S. coast-to-coast in will occur in 2045. The path of totality for that eclipse will cut through California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

Denise Chow is a reporter for NBC News Science focused on general science and climate change.

Lucas Thompson is a content producer for the NBC News Climate Unit.