The word Kristen Elise Pickell uses to describe her love of the past is anemoia.

The word Kristen Elise Pickell uses to describe her love of the past is anemoia. It?s an invented word, found in John Koenig?s Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, and it means ?a pang of nostalgia for times you?ve never experienced.? Which is why this 28-year-old high school art teacher living in Kansas City, MO teared up when she toured a 1973 home. The previous owners, Bill and Betty, had worked with an architect on a custom collaboration. Kristen took one look at a home nearly unchanged from its original 1970s conception and rooms filled with stunning vintage pieces, and promptly abandoned her search for a starter home. Bill and Betty were who Kristen imagined herself to be in retirement. Kristen sent a letter to Betty, along with her offer, explaining how special the home was and how much she would cherish it. She was surprised to discover another couple had submitted a nearly identical offer, along with a letter of their own. ?It was a matter of a few thousand dollars and somehow they ended up choosing me,? Kristen says. And to think Kristen?s anemoia began years earlier, when she heard the story of her mother and a certain member of the Beatles. Kristen grew up listening to her mother Sandra tell the story of how she won a radio contest to see the Beatles. It was their first performance in Canada. Her mother described in great detail the rust colored corduroy skirt and jacket with a ruffled bel...