Military Families: Where are you "from"?

[Anonymous]

As mentioned on another post. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I'm the one who mentioned that on the other post. My dad is retired now. I didn't have a good answer to that question when I was growing up. Since I've lived in DC since 1993, I say I'm from here. My parents were both born in NYS ... upstate and downstate. They've retired to the Finger Lakes (Ithaca area). That's where my roots are, but I really consider myself a Washingtonian now.

[Anonymous]

Generally, my response is "Everywhere and nowhere, and I was born in a place that no longer exists."

I've been in the DC area off and on since 1980, but I'm still not really "from" here.

[Anonymous]

Didn't see the other post...but my husband is in the military. I"m from Southern California, he's from Nothern California. We met when he was stationed at a base in Southern California...

[Anonymous]

Dual military family here (also missed the other thread) -

I say, I was raised in __________, DH was raised ___________ and in the past 15 years we've lived all over. Our longest stint was in California. In our house we have a a sign that says, "Home is where the Marine Corps send us". Then below we list each city we've lived.

[Anonymous]

Not military, but my husband grew up in a sort of missionary family that moved A LOT. He generally says he is from the place where he spent most of high school (3 years). He says it is just easier than explaining that he feels no real tie to any one area.

[Anonymous]

Depends.

If I'm in VA for example, I usually say, "I went to high school in VA, but my dad worked for the government, so we moved around a lot." (and leave it at that).

If I meet someone from Iowa where all my family's from, I usually say, "oh, all my family lives in Des Moines" or something...

If I meet someone from one of the places where I lived, I usually say something like, "Oh, you're Filipino? I lived in the Philippines in jr. high)

Basically, I'm always trying to relate it to the person I'm talking to--most people in this area understand a lifestyle like this or at least have heard of it, but generally I try not to bring it up because then I'm explaining for 5-10 minutes... "and then we were in Ghana when I was 7"..., etc and the point of the story is lost.

[Anonymous]

I grew up in (blank), my husband grew up in (blank), and we met in high school when I moved to his town. Since then, we've moved 17 times, and no two of our kids were born in the same house.

[Anonymous]

I was an Army brat, born overseas, parents from midwest, they have since moved back there and I've been in NOVA since H.S. so I usually say I'm from this area and parents from/family in midwest. I never lived in their midwest town so I'm not really "from" there are anywhere per se. I've live in NOVA the longest time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Depends.

If I'm in VA for example, I usually say, "I went to high school in VA, but my dad worked for the government, so we moved around a lot." (and leave it at that).

If I meet someone from Iowa where all my family's from, I usually say, "oh, all my family lives in Des Moines" or something...

If I meet someone from one of the places where I lived, I usually say something like, "Oh, you're Filipino? I lived in the Philippines in jr. high)

Basically, I'm always trying to relate it to the person I'm talking to--most people in this area understand a lifestyle like this or at least have heard of it, but generally I try not to bring it up because then I'm explaining for 5-10 minutes... "and then we were in Ghana when I was 7"..., etc and the point of the story is lost.

That's me. And I bet my dad worked with your dad..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depends.

If I'm in VA for example, I usually say, "I went to high school in VA, but my dad worked for the government, so we moved around a lot." (and leave it at that).

If I meet someone from Iowa where all my family's from, I usually say, "oh, all my family lives in Des Moines" or something...

If I meet someone from one of the places where I lived, I usually say something like, "Oh, you're Filipino? I lived in the Philippines in jr. high)

Basically, I'm always trying to relate it to the person I'm talking to--most people in this area understand a lifestyle like this or at least have heard of it, but generally I try not to bring it up because then I'm explaining for 5-10 minutes... "and then we were in Ghana when I was 7"..., etc and the point of the story is lost.

That's me. And I bet my dad worked with your dad..

13:12 here. Growing up, lived in GA, MA, NY State, and Germany. All of us third culture kids feel that way to a certain extent. That's why we're so adaptable.