How do I stop feeling like a stranger in my own neighborhood or town?

Nasreddin Hodja understood something vital: you don't become native to a place by accident or by staying long enough. You become native by noticing—really noticing—what's actually there. Start small. Walk the same route three times and pay attention to what changes. Talk to someone who's been there longer than you. Ask them what they'd miss if they left. The paradox Hodja loved was that the more you examine a place honestly—its flaws, its habits, its particular light—the more it becomes yours. Not because it changes, but because you stop being a tourist in your own life. You're not trying to belong. You're trying to see. The strangeness dissolves when curiosity replaces judgment. Next time you're outside, notice one thing you've never seen before, even if it's tiny.