Comments on: Origins.

By: pat

pat — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 20:56:38 +0000

Jeez, I’m sorry you have such a semi-negative aftertaste of Austin.
Cuz yo, that’s where I’m from, and I love being from Austin. (It’s really still a nice place, though it certainly has its share of asshats and dousche-lords.) But they don’t call it the Velvet Rut for nothing. I left Austin the moment I realized the idea of staying was slightly more scary to me than the idea of moving.
So you are a rootless cosmopolitan. (that’s pretty cool.)

By: morecowbell

morecowbell — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 19:47:01 +0000

I was just talking about this the other day with a friend. The longest I’ve ever lived in any single place was Hungary, 6 years, ‘97–’03. Of course, I’m not Hungarian, and it being so recent, I’m not actually “from” there. But I feel much more connected there than I do to many of the stateside places I’ve lived. It was truly home. I also spent 6 years in Germany, although in 3 different cities, and also felt very at home there. I’ve now been in Seattle 4 years (!!!) and I don’t really feel at all connected or at “home” here.

I usually tell people I’ve moved my whole life and am from “all over”, but I claim Hillsboro Ohio as my “home town”, although I only lived there 4 years. (Other than the 4 locations I’ve listed, I often moved every year or couple of years) It was high school, though, so an important 4 years, and one where I grew up and started on the road to being an independent person rather than someone’s daughter. Maybe that’s why it feels more like my “home town” than where I was born. (I note, though, that I still put “home town” in quote marks, so I’m apparently still ambivalent — feels like cheating somehow.)

My views are so far removed, now, from small town life of Hillsboro, but it did help to give me an understanding of that way of thinking and seeing the world, and I”m glad for that.

By: Kristie

Kristie — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 11:22:18 +0000

Dont lie about it (like the rest of the world), maybe its just that the whole world is your home. Its a wonderful thing. And by the way, you can skip that question that I sent you I didnt know “where are you from” would be such a thought provoking question…:)

By: Caffienated Cowgirl

Caffienated Cowgirl — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 18:37:24 +0000

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. Not only because I’ve moved so much in the past decade, but because now my child will be forever trying to explain his origins to people. In fact, right now he’s confused as to what “home” is…imagine what a 3-year old who has lived in 3 different countries answers when someone asks “where are you from little boy?”

By: Martina

Martina — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 06:56:02 +0000

You commented when I posted the same thing on my blog; I simply have no place that is considered “home”, as my dad was already in the Army when I was born.
I haven’t found an acceptable answer for myself. With other former military people, the answer “I was an Army brat” suffices, but most people asking don’t fit into that category.

By: Carol Snider

Carol Snider — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 04:41:54 +0000

Choose your favorite place… and THAT’S now where you’re from!

Carol

By: Rositta

Rositta — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 00:54:05 +0000

You are a world citizen, enjoy it. Wanderlust, know it well but now I’ve settled down. I didn’t so much change countries (only 2) but changed provinces and houses like a manic. I think I’m settled now but every once in a while I get the urge to move again…ciao

By: jeanni

jeanni — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 18:53:01 +0000

there is something romantic and bohemian and arty about being so wandering that you have no one real place to claim… you definitely should embrace it.

oddly, for me that is the one question that i don’t have to think about… and it’s one of the few things i like about me… i love the fact that i am from chicago… can’t even explain it, but there is a definite pride and loyalty that has been ingrained… no matter how long it goes that i have lived there, or even visited… it will always be where i came from.

you almost don’t even have to ask me… whenever i meet someone, the first thing i want to do is establish that i’m not a floridian.

By: ann

ann — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 12:56:43 +0000

My parents moved into their house the day before I was born, so I actually do come from somewhere, but I definitely felt more where I belonged after 4.5 years in Denver (yes actually in the city) than I do from NJ.

I get the Kevin Smith jokes, but I was never like all the people around me. (I do however, wait “on line” and not “in line”). We weren’t mall rats. We didn’t go to the shore in the summer. We never had big hair, or the money to fit in with the preppy kids.

I say, “I have lived a lot of places. My parents still live in NJ.”

By: CN Heidelberg

CN Heidelberg — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 11:42:54 +0000

A tough question, especially for you! Do you ever just say you’re from “all over”??
My situation is much less extreme but I still have a hard time answering that question. I grew up in Iowa, but just answering the question “Iowa” doesn’t work for me. I love Iowa, but there’s a big difference (I think) between a person who lived all their time in the US in Iowa, and me. I haven’t lived in Iowa in over ten years and can’t speak for it all that much anymore. But, I’m not a Bostonian either, and Chicago just falls in the middle somewhere wondering what its place in all this is. A lot of times I answer with “we moved here from Boston but I was born in Iowa”, unless language is an issue. Then I just say “Boston”.
When I talk about the US in my blog it’s usually just Boston because that’s the area I’m familiar with as an adult, and I don’t want people to rail on me for saying “US is like this” when it’s not like that in THEIR part of the US. So I stick with “Boston is like this”. I know there are people out there who are very defensive about the US not being all the same.