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I never know how to answer that question and I need some help…
Childhood:
Born: Hawaii -- moved before age 2 (< 2 years)
P-K: Washington -- moved at age 5 (<3 years)
K-5 Grade: So. Virginia -- moved at about age 10 (< 7 years)
5-9 Grade: California (Central and Southern) (< 5 years)
10-12 Grade: No. Virginia (< 3 years)
Adulthood:
Northern CA (Sierras/Humboldt) -- < 1 year
San Diego County -- < 4 years
LA/Orange County -- < 5 years
SF BAY area -- < 11 years (split between several homes, but all in the same general area of Sil. Valley)
Colorado -- < 6 years
SO WHERE THE HECK AM I FROM?…
I lived in CA for a total of over 20 years of my life, so if we're going by longevity in a single state, then CA clearly wins, but that was split between many places in the state and doesn't count if I'm talking to other CA'ans. I have family in CO going back for generations and am probably here for good now, but it's only been 6 years to hard to convoke people I'm 'from here', especially since I didn't even arrive until almost age 40. It;s tempting to say Hawaii since I was born there, but when people know that I moved at like age 1 or 2, its laughable to say I'm from there. And it's not really a bragging right I care to have anyways. Most of my childhood (before 18) was actually in VA, but I will never go back by choice and no way am I ever claiming to be from there.
I had the same kind of childhood. I was born in South Dakota, then I moved to NE Iowa when I was two, then to the Twin Cities for K-5, then to Des Moines through high school (split between two homes and two very different school districts), then NE Iowa again for college. I always say I grew up in the Twin Cities because that's where my most meaningful childhood memories are, and I still feel like I'm going home when I visit. But I still kind of feel like I'm lying since I lived in Des Moines for so long. I just never got to a place where I felt like an Iowan. I still feel like a Minnesotan and I may always feel like a Minnesotan.
The answer is YOU are the one who gets to decide where you're from. If you want to say you're from Washington, or even Hawaii, that's 100% okay. It's your choice, which means you get to define what it means to you.
There's nothing wrong with just saying something like "I'm from all over" or "I moved around a lot". If people want to know more, they will ask, and then you can go into all the different places you've lived.
Alternatively, if you're trying to avoid that whole conversation, I would just name the place where your parents live now (unless they live someplace you never lived). That's what I do - I originally grew up in central PA but then moved to the suburbs of Philly when I was 14. This is where my parents still live so when people ask where I'm from I just say "outside Philly" because that's where I go "back home" to visit my parents. I no longer have any strong ties to central PA so even though it's my original home, even though I lived there the longest (only spent 10 years in Philly suburbs, 8 years in England and now I'm in Colorado), it's not worth bringing it up when people are just making small talk.
Lastly, I would recommend you simply name the place you identify most with. Disregard logic, disregard what other people will think... apart from where you currently live, what place felt the most like home to you?
There's nothing wrong with just saying something like "I'm from all over" or "I moved around a lot"... apart from where you currently live, what place felt the most like home to you?
That's basically what I say, it was really just a question for myself. I lived in Coronado, CA, right on the beach, for part my high school years as well as some time after high school. It was an absolutely fantastic part of my youth and I've often referred to myself as 'from' there or even 'raised' there, but it always felt a little dishonest, and as the years go by it feels a lot less like home and where I'm at now feel more like that. Besides, I don't want to come off like I'm trying to play the part billionaire living on one of the top beach destinations in SoCal, if not the US or even the world! (it was a WAYYY different place back when I lived there)
I still have no idea where I'm "from" because I've lived in multiple places, all of them for about 3 years.
When someone asks me where I'm "from", I say "I live in [current location]." On social networking sites, I put my "Hometown" as "???".
Also, cakecakecake has the best username ever.
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