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Or rather, his reaction to them. The years he served on Enterprise were the best years of his life, particularly once Jim Kirk became his commander and friend. The Enterprise shaped him, and his experiences on it—and the lifelong friends he made there—are always in his thoughts. As Leonard McCoy was known to say, might-have-beens and maybes are the most useless thoughts known to humankind, and it is Spock’s experience that this is true of Vulcans, as well. But many things remind him of his friends. Spock is ever conscious of what Jim would say, how Leonard would tease him, how his crewmates would react to any given situation.
Seeing their younger alternates, ready to embark on their mission, has stirred up many memories, both cherished and painful. He misses them more now than he has in many years. But he has no desire to attach himself to Enterprise and sail with them through the vastness of space. He is not now the same man he was when he did so; they are not the same people he knew. Spock is content to wish them well on their journey and watch from afar.
Spock would sacrifice much to return to his home. But, and this is the most surprising thing of all, he finds he is content on the new Vulcan homeworld as he never was on Vulcan itself.