I was born in another country, immigrated here and moved around a lot as a child. Then I went to college and grad school in different cities, worked in nyc and then moved to dc (Virginia).

Depending on who I’m talking to, I may say I’m from X country since I was born there and identify culturally. Other times I may say I’m from ny since I just moved from there. I got married there, had 2 of my kids there, etc. other times I may say I lived in A or B state if I meet a person from A or B state. I did grow up in A and B state but not my entire childhood.

If I’m overseas or on the west coast, I say I’m from dc. I worked in dc but never actually lived there. We live in VA. I do not think I am lying by telling people I’m from dc. We have lived here for over 10 years. My kids are from here although they were born in nyc.

There was once this nosy busybody who told another friend to watch out for me because I was a liar. I had said I went to college in X. X was the city of the college where my college was located but I went to a different named college. I also went to grad school twice so attended in different cities. The busybody was convinced I was a liar. I always thought she was weird. It wasn’t even worth it to explain to her that I lived in several states when I was a child.

I have a friend who I met thinking she was from the west coast. I learned later she mostly grew up in Canada and was born in another country. I really don’t care where she is from.

I have a friend from California who seems obsessed with WHERE in California someone is from. I have a friend from a suburb of LA. She grew up there and I always thought she was from LA. My friend always corrects me and says she is not from LA. Another friend is from the Midwest and went CA for grad school, got married there and lived there before moving to DC. CA friend again says how my friend is not really from CA.

OP, this says more about you than others.

You aren't special because you grew up in DC OP. A lot of us are only here for our jobs. I have lived in 7+ states. If someone asks, I will absolutely tell them I am from Ohio. My husband isn't from the US and doesn't like when people ask where he's from. Sometimes he will just say "here" because he doesn't want to give info about his country of origin. People of color can be more sensitive about this so consider that.

Anonymous wrote:Why do people lie about the city they grew up in? I live in a major city with a very high transplant percentage and it's amazing to me how many people will beat around the bush to say they're from "here" when the truth is they grew up in Duluth, Minnesota or Astoria, Oregon or whatever. Is it because they want to seem more cosmopolitan? What is the pathology at play?

Because it's OR people have preconceived about the state and people don't admit they're from there to avoid having to explain how is it there and "what brings you here?" sorta questions.

Anonymous wrote:They don't want to explain themselves. Are you really this dumb? You aren't superior because you grew up in a cosmopolitan city.

I am laughing at what do they consider cosmopolitan? Everyone has their opinions on what that actually entails? Dirty crime-ridden cities are cosmpolitan or more wealthy and clean cities?

Anonymous wrote:Middle and upper middle class nobodies who grew up in the DC suburbs go away to college and try to make it seem like their fed dad was the CIA director and their mom was Speaker of the House. Dude, your parents are just bottom feeding bureaucrat nobodies. Shut up.

Dont be jealous because you are a bottom feeding bureacrat who also grew up in BFE Wisconsin or wherever....

Middle and upper middle class nobodies who grew up in the DC suburbs go away to college and try to make it seem like their fed dad was the CIA director and their mom was Speaker of the House. Dude, your parents are just bottom feeding bureaucrat nobodies. Shut up.

I tell anyone who asks where I’m from. It explains a lot.

Anonymous wrote:My favorites are the ones from Ass F**k, Ohio that moved to Navy Yard and now deriseively refer to Arlingtonians as "Bridge and Tunnel" people.

So desperate. And so stupid too.

Hey Idiot! We left DC on PURPOSE!

Enjoy the car jackings, feral violent youth, cops who don't give af, abysmal schools and a council that does whatever it wants.

Lol. Reminds me of a dorm mate whose father was an engineer. For his work, he volunteered to live in France for two years and she tried to make living there during 8th and 9th grade her entire identity. The other 90% of her life before college and back home during college was in Podunk, Ohio.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been here 20 years, longer than any single place I have ever lived. Why does the town where I went to high school have to have any greater significance?

Because age 0-18 made you who you are. It's your stock. It's your personality. It's your roots. No matter how carefully your curate your current patina, you'll always be that 0-18 at your core. And you know it.

Exactly. And they always wants to deny that fact even though it's so obvious.

Anonymous wrote:Most of them are embarrassed, trying to outrun a past to glom onto something glitzier and more exciting. The correct reaction is pity.

Well put. Nailed it.

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been here 20 years, longer than any single place I have ever lived. Why does the town where I went to high school have to have any greater significance?

Because age 0-18 made you who you are. It's your stock. It's your personality. It's your roots. No matter how carefully your curate your current patina, you'll always be that 0-18 at your core. And you know it.

Anonymous wrote:They don't want to explain themselves. Are you really this dumb? You aren't superior because you grew up in a cosmopolitan city.

Certainly superior to the people from a flyover backwater who lie about it.

Let this old thread die people!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been here 20 years, longer than any single place I have ever lived. Why does the town where I went to high school have to have any greater significance?

Because you guys came to DC just to complain about the awful suburbs of your random hometown in Ohio while simultaneously trying to turn DC into a more trendy version of suburban Ohio. And then you will move to Florida or someplace to retire and leave us locals to deal with the fallout.

Okay, you’re an @ss but I’m also really curious about WTH you’re talking about. For context: I lived in CA (the Bay Area to be precise) for 21 years then moved to DC where I’ve lived for 31. How are Ohioans (not the animal eating kinds) trying to turn DC into a trendy version of suburbia and then what kind of fallout have we been dealing when we see their post-hightailing-it skid marks? My head isn’t offering me up any answers, likely because I can’t think like a native Districtian.

Not the PP but where did you grow up?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been here 20 years, longer than any single place I have ever lived. Why does the town where I went to high school have to have any greater significance?

Because you guys came to DC just to complain about the awful suburbs of your random hometown in Ohio while simultaneously trying to turn DC into a more trendy version of suburban Ohio. And then you will move to Florida or someplace to retire and leave us locals to deal with the fallout.

Okay, you’re an @ss but I’m also really curious about WTH you’re talking about. For context: I lived in CA (the Bay Area to be precise) for 21 years then moved to DC where I’ve lived for 31. How are Ohioans (not the animal eating kinds) trying to turn DC into a trendy version of suburbia and then what kind of fallout have we been dealing when we see their post-hightailing-it skid marks? My head isn’t offering me up any answers, likely because I can’t think like a native Districtian.