As a transplant from another state, and a transplant who has lived all over the country and even in another country, I often get stumped when meeting new people in our retirement community in Arizona when they ask ‘where are you from?’. Well, that depends.
Sometimes I say the name of the last state where we lived. Other times, I laugh and say, “I don’t know.” Other times, I say “From all over.”
I guess they’re all true. I’m not sure where I’m from.
This afternoon, my husband, daughter, and I were in a parking lot walking toward our car and I spotted a license plate holder on the back of the car parked beside ours. The holder gave the name of the dealership where they’d bought their car and also the name of the city and state. I got all excited because it the was the city where I’d mostly grown up and had lived for twenty years.
As I got in our car, I thought , Oh, wow, they’re from my hometown. That’s the first time I’ve seen someone from there since we moved away almost thirty years ago. How cool!
Then I realized that I thought of it as my hometown. The place where I’m from. Somehow, somewhere, deep inside me, apparently, I still think of it as home. How did that happen? As I said, I haven’t lived there in almost thirty years. I don’t have any family there. I rarely mention the place to anyone when they ask where I’m from.
Is it because that’s where I met my husband and got married? Or maybe because my mother died there after a long illness? Or maybe because I went to middle school and high school there?
If you move around a lot, as I have, what makes one place your hometown? I think my son and daughter may have the same questions, since they, too, moved around a lot as they were growing up.
I don’t have any answers. Just thought it was interesting to think about.
8 Comments
Sharon Byer said:
August 10, 2019 at 12:28 am
Yes Susan ,I can really relate to this blog! I too often wonder what to answer. I usually answer Vancouver BC since I was born and raised there . I also lived there til I was 28. However then moved to Montreal for a year where I met my husband! Then we spent our first 18 months of marriage in Oshawa Ontario. From there we moved to the states. First Michigan for 3 years,then Wisconsin for 12 years and then Iowa for 13 years. Finallywe retired and moved here to SCW AZ in 1997. I definitely consider SCW my home now and we became US citizens in 2004. It is certainly my favorite place to live and don’t plan on any more moves!
susanfinlay said:
August 10, 2019 at 3:48 am
Wow, it’s good to hear that I’m not the only one who has moved around. I’m glad you are here in Arizona.
Tiny said:
August 10, 2019 at 2:48 am
Well my Dad was USAir Force and Mom US Army Nurse Corp and I was U S Air Force. So I was born in Moody AF Base in Valdosta, GA then we moved to Alaska. As you can see we would always be on the move. I was stationed in England. For some reason when my son & I drove through AZ to CA we said one day we would come back. We did and since 1985 this has been our home. He is married & and has gifted me with a wonderful grandson living only 6 miles away. We love Az our year round home.
susanfinlay said:
August 10, 2019 at 3:50 am
Wow, England? That’s exciting. My dad was also in military and then later worked as civil service for the military, so we moved around a lot when I was a child. Then as an adult, my husband and I also moved around. At least it’s not boring, right? I’m glad you came back to AZ.
Gina said:
August 10, 2019 at 4:34 pm
Where are you from is my favorite ice breaker conversation but I get what you are saying. My husband and I both lived in Washington State and went to the same high school but he moved away when he joined the Air Force and I joined him when we got married when I was 21. Off to Michigan where our only child was born so that place feels special. But then we went to England and liked it so much we stayed 6 years before we were transferred back to the states. Florida and then Nebraska where we spent 20 years which is longer than he lived in WA. That’s what I love about living in our retirement community. It’s easy to find something in common with everyone you meet. But the where are you from question is a complicated and interesting answer for some of us!
susanfinlay said:
August 10, 2019 at 6:23 pm
You sound like me, Gina. Good to hear we have so much in common. Thanks.
Mariel Rooney said:
August 12, 2019 at 6:56 pm
Even though I have lived in AZ since 1977, I still say McLean, VA is were I’m from. Born in Taiwan (Army Brat) but lived in McLean from ‘59 till ‘75 when I graduated from high school. I think “the coming of age” time of life is a big consideration in my mind.
susanfinlay said:
August 12, 2019 at 9:04 pm
That makes sense–the’coming of age’ time being a big consideration.