If you lie about your hometown, why?

[Anonymous]

OP, the issue is you. You're getting answers based on the question you asked. "Where are you from?" is not the same question as "Where did you grow up?" As many have noted, where you're from isn't straightforward if you've lived in a lot of places as I have.

[Anonymous]

It's cute to see that OP messed up the formatting and accused others of doing the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone knows what "where are you FROM?" means.

You are FROM New York if you grew up there, period. You LIVE there if you live there at the moment.

Stop playing dumb, people.

It’s not always that simple.

I’ve lived in the following places:

Buffalo, NY — up to age 8
Westchester County, NY — age 8-14
NYC — 14-18 (parents still live there)
DC (in the District) — 18-25
Chicago — 25-27
DC (in NoVA, the District, and now MoCo) — 27-34 (present)

So where do I say I’m from?

You're from New York and you currently live in the DC area. This is easy.

NY state, yes, but it’s usually not sufficiently specific to just say what state you’re from when you’re talking to other Americans.

In my experience it is.

The follow up is, "NY state or city?"

You, "State originally but moved to NYC burbs and then city proper as a teen, parents are still there."

That’s what I end up doing, but it’s just such a damn long explanation.

I guess my point was that the PP who acted like it’s simple to say where you’re from is a bit wrong. Some of us can’t answer that with a single place name.

DH lived in CT until he was 10, AZ until he was 14, MI until he was 22, CA until he was 25, and now in the DC area. So he just ends up saying “I’m from all over.”

[Anonymous]

^And that's a fine and honest answer! But for most people, who grew up in one region, the should have no issue giving where they are "from"- obviously where they grew up. Very simple.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If someone asks “where are you from?” I would assume they mean “where do you live?” rather than “where did you grow up?”

+1

No way. It takes two seconds to say, "I'm from Ohio but have been in DC 20 years."

It's not that straightforward for many of us.

I was born in Indiana, raised in Maryland from age 8 up, moved to Michigan for college, lived on the West Coast for 22 years before moving overseas for work, and now I live in Virginia. But I lived in California the longest and most of my family is there now and I consider it home. That's a lot of info when we just met, and if I just tell you I'm from California because I don't feel like repeating my life story, that's my perogative.

[Anonymous]

I was born in a foreign country, and then moved to a different foreign country when I was four, then back to the same town in first foreign country in middle school, and then to a town in the U.S. for high school. Then another city 1000 miles away for college, and yet another town/state for grad school. Which would you want me to call my “hometown”? Because if I’m traveling, I just tell people I’m from a DC suburb because I’ve been here the longest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If someone asks “where are you from?” I would assume they mean “where do you live?” rather than “where did you grow up?”

+1

No way. It takes two seconds to say, "I'm from Ohio but have been in DC 20 years."

It's not that straightforward for many of us.

I was born in Indiana, raised in Maryland from age 8 up, moved to Michigan for college, lived on the West Coast for 22 years before moving overseas for work, and now I live in Virginia. But I lived in California the longest and most of my family is there now and I consider it home. That's a lot of info when we just met, and if I just tell you I'm from California because I don't feel like repeating my life story, that's my perogative.

Well, you're not FROM the west coast, however much you love it, and however much "the west coast" may have a cache to it. You're from Indiana and Maryland, and that's easy enough to say. You live in California now and have lived there for a while, but that's not where you're FROM, unless you're traveling around the country and someone wants to ask where you live now.

[Anonymous]

OP, some people are pretentious, and want to pretend they are better than they really are - hence the lying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was born in a foreign country, and then moved to a different foreign country when I was four, then back to the same town in first foreign country in middle school, and then to a town in the U.S. for high school. Then another city 1000 miles away for college, and yet another town/state for grad school. Which would you want me to call my “hometown”? Because if I’m traveling, I just tell people I’m from a DC suburb because I’ve been here the longest.

I would probably give the first foreign country you lived in. But of course, for people who truly lived in a ton of places growing up, they can always give the "I moved around a lot" answer, which is perfectly fine and the truth. Because the truthfulness is what matters

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, some people are pretentious, and want to pretend they are better than they really are - hence the lying.

Very well said.

[Anonymous]

I say I grew up in northeast ohio, but left for college in ____, then_____, then_____, and now I live in DC.

I know it's a rambling answer, but it's the truth and detailed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was born in a foreign country, and then moved to a different foreign country when I was four, then back to the same town in first foreign country in middle school, and then to a town in the U.S. for high school. Then another city 1000 miles away for college, and yet another town/state for grad school. Which would you want me to call my “hometown”? Because if I’m traveling, I just tell people I’m from a DC suburb because I’ve been here the longest.

I would probably give the first foreign country you lived in. But of course, for people who truly lived in a ton of places growing up, they can always give the "I moved around a lot" answer, which is perfectly fine and the truth. Because the truthfulness is what matters

Ok, but, I’m not FROM there.

You have issues, OP.

If someone here asks where I’m from I tell them I grew up all over the place. It’s just too much effort to explain it all, especially if I just met you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If someone asks “where are you from?” I would assume they mean “where do you live?” rather than “where did you grow up?”

+1

No way. It takes two seconds to say, "I'm from Ohio but have been in DC 20 years."

It's not that straightforward for many of us.

I was born in Indiana, raised in Maryland from age 8 up, moved to Michigan for college, lived on the West Coast for 22 years before moving overseas for work, and now I live in Virginia. But I lived in California the longest and most of my family is there now and I consider it home. That's a lot of info when we just met, and if I just tell you I'm from California because I don't feel like repeating my life story, that's my perogative.

Well, you're not FROM the west coast, however much you love it, and however much "the west coast" may have a cache to it. You're from Indiana and Maryland, and that's easy enough to say. You live in California now and have lived there for a while, but that's not where you're FROM, unless you're traveling around the country and someone wants to ask where you live now.

No, I lived in California the longest. For several decades. I don't live there now. I don't even remember Indiana.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If someone asks “where are you from?” I would assume they mean “where do you live?” rather than “where did you grow up?”

+1

No way. It takes two seconds to say, "I'm from Ohio but have been in DC 20 years."

It's not that straightforward for many of us.

I was born in Indiana, raised in Maryland from age 8 up, moved to Michigan for college, lived on the West Coast for 22 years before moving overseas for work, and now I live in Virginia. But I lived in California the longest and most of my family is there now and I consider it home. That's a lot of info when we just met, and if I just tell you I'm from California because I don't feel like repeating my life story, that's my perogative.

Well, you're not FROM the west coast, however much you love it, and however much "the west coast" may have a cache to it. You're from Indiana and Maryland, and that's easy enough to say. You live in California now and have lived there for a while, but that's not where you're FROM, unless you're traveling around the country and someone wants to ask where you live now.

No, I lived in California the longest. For several decades. I don't live there now. I don't even remember Indiana.

ETA: If you ask me where I grew up, I will say Maryland. If that's what you want to know then just be direct and ask.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If someone asks “where are you from?” I would assume they mean “where do you live?” rather than “where did you grow up?”

+1

No way. It takes two seconds to say, "I'm from Ohio but have been in DC 20 years."

It's not that straightforward for many of us.

I was born in Indiana, raised in Maryland from age 8 up, moved to Michigan for college, lived on the West Coast for 22 years before moving overseas for work, and now I live in Virginia. But I lived in California the longest and most of my family is there now and I consider it home. That's a lot of info when we just met, and if I just tell you I'm from California because I don't feel like repeating my life story, that's my perogative.

Well, you're not FROM the west coast, however much you love it, and however much "the west coast" may have a cache to it. You're from Indiana and Maryland, and that's easy enough to say. You live in California now and have lived there for a while, but that's not where you're FROM, unless you're traveling around the country and someone wants to ask where you live now.

No, I lived in California the longest. For several decades. I don't live there now. I don't even remember Indiana.

Same here with Ohio. It has been decades since I have stepped foot in Ohio.