Where?

[susandennis]

restoman asked a great question...

I am curious. Of all the places you have lived, which one do you most identify with? If someone asks you "Where are you from?" What do you say? What state have you lived in the longest?

too long; didn't read = Seattle, WA

I've lived in Seattle, WA for nearly 23 years. I moved here in January of 1992. It's absolutely where I'm from. But, here in Washington, most everyone is from somewhere else so when someone here asks where you are from, they mean where did to move to Washington from. And my answer is that I was raised in North Carolina.

Fun Fact. I got my driver's license on the day I turned 16. But, I never lived in any state long enough to get it renewed until I moved to Seattle. At age 47 (4 years later), I finally got to get another license in the same state. It was a BFD for me. Oddly, the bored clerk was not even mildly amused.

Here's the list of where I've lived.

• Born in Brooklyn, NY


• 15 months old - moved to River Edge, NJ because apartment too small


• age 2 - moved to Des Moines, Iowa because of Daddy's promotion


• age 3 - moved to Kansas City, MO because of Daddy's promotion


• age 6 - moved to Winston-Salem, NC because of Daddy's promotion


• age 18 - left for college - Bethany, WVa just because


• age 21 - moved to Wheeling, WVa hated college so moved off campus near job


• age 24 - moved to Aiken, SC hate job so moved to another one


• age 26 - moved to Greenwood, SC moved to make more money at new job


• age 28 - moved to Southern Pines, NC fell in love moved to be near boyfriend who then dumped me


• age 32 - moved to Charlotte, NC got married (divorced 2 years later)


• age 36 - moved to Norwalk, CT IBM moved me


• age 38 - moved to Rochester, MN IBM moved me


• age 41 - moved to Morgan Hill, CA IBM moved me


• age 43 - moved to Seattle, WA IBM moved me (After 2 years, IBM wanted to move me to Phoenix and I said no thank you.)

I actually knew the minute I got to Seattle that I was here to stay. It has and still does just suit me. I cannot imagine living anywhere else.

Comments

[manoman.livejournal.com]

I was with IBM for many years but only was in two locations, Yorktown Heights, NY and Kingston, NY. I resisted moves.

[susandennis]

You resisted and I begged!! I had a manager once who said that everytime my bathroom got dirty enough to require cleaning, I put in for a new job in a new area code... and he wasn't that far off!

[stpdsxyflndrs.livejournal.com]

We have several states in common! I was born in WV, went to college in NC, and now am in WA. :)

[susandennis]

Hey hey! Three of the best ones, too.

[restoman.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the thoughtful response!

I have only lived in one state: New York.
I was born in Queens, spent the next 20 years growing up in Huntington, on Long Island, and the last 41 years in Syracuse.

My little sister (now 58), lives not too far from you: Spokane.

I asked the questions because I find that where we live (or have lived), often becomes a big part of our identity.

:-)

[susandennis]

I think you are so right about geographic identities. I've enjoyed most everywhere I've lived and I truly enjoyed moving from place to place but Seattle honestly felt like home the very minute I got here.

[badrobot68.livejournal.com]

I felt that way about Seattle too, it still feels like home even if I'm not there right now.

My list is easy - Arizona, Seattle, Portland.

[kk1raven.livejournal.com]

That's a lot of moving around that you did when you were younger. I moved once when I was a kid and then quite a bit in my 20s and 30s but always in the same general area. When I was young I always intended to move to western Washington but real life kind of got in the way of that plan. Several years ago my uncle tried really hard to get me to buy my grandmother's house on the Kitsap Peninsula so that it would stay in the family, but moving across the country would have meant starting my business from scratch and buying a house when you have no income doesn't work well. I wish I'd been able to do it though.