While I have little trouble talking at length about home and all that it entails – its physical location, its place in my heart, who and what shares my space, its appearance and characteristics, what it means to me, how it makes me feel – I do struggle to definitively answer one question:
“What is your hometown?”
During my childhood and youth, my family moved fairly regularly (both from city to city and house to house within the same city), a practice which I continued into my adult years out on my own. As you might expect, unlike someone who was born, raised, and lived the majority of their life in one place, my first response to the “hometown question” has to be a request for clarification.
Do you mean the place…
…where I was born?
…where I spent most of my childhood years?
…where I spent my high school years?
…where I attended college or university?
…where I lived for the longest period of time?
…where I currently live?
…where my parents live?
Or perhaps, from another perspective, do you mean the place…
…that feels most like home?
…I love the most?
…I wish was my hometown?
So many questions, so many different answers – all of them accurate in their own way, yet none completely satisfactory.
I think I’d rather stick to talking about home.
How do YOU define your hometown?
Please share!
(Originally posted in April, 2012.)
{ 16 comments… add one }
Jim is my home town. The base of everything.
Twitter: alphabetsalad
February 6, 2014
That is lovely, Diane.
Laurel Regan recently posted… Another snow day
Twitter: ccassara
February 6, 2014
“I grew up in Rochester, NY but left when I was 20 and have lived in either Florida or the San Francisco Bay area ever since.” The bigger problem was when I lived in both states at the same time and was asked, “where do you live?”
Carol Cassara ( recently posted… Living forgiveness
Twitter: alphabetsalad
February 6, 2014
That must have been rather complicated!
Laurel Regan recently posted… Another snow day
Twitter: midlifequeen
February 6, 2014
I also haven’t figured this one out. I counted once and I’ve moved at least 30 times in my life!
Laura Lee Carter aka the Midlife Crisis Queen recently posted… What happens to our work ethic in retirement?
Twitter: alphabetsalad
February 6, 2014
Wow, that is definitely a lot! I’ll have to count my moves some time – but I’m pretty sure it won’t be quite THAT many!
Laurel Regan recently posted… Another snow day
Twitter: thechefkatrina
February 6, 2014
Having been raised in the same home for 18 years, I call that home. So if someone asked where am I from, my answer is California. That is where I was born and raised and to me, that is home.
But it could also be where my parents are and they are about to move… so that leaves that open for debate also.
Great question and it does have many answers.
Katrina recently posted… Elite Marketing Pro – The Secret Ingredient
Twitter: alphabetsalad
February 6, 2014
It really does, doesn’t it?! Thanks for stopping by.
Laurel Regan recently posted… Another snow day
Oh the loaded question! I cringe when I get this question because I moved so many times from birth to adulthood. Typically when people ask me what my hometown is now, I just say where I live now. Just seems to lead to fewer follow up questions and explaining something for the millionth time.
Misty Spears recently posted… How to Publish a Book Using the Kindle Platform – Part 4: Scrivener Interface Tips
Twitter: alphabetsalad
February 6, 2014
That makes total sense! I guess it depends on how much explanation time you have, LOL! Thanks for stopping by.
Laurel Regan recently posted… Another snow day
We were ranch folk, so home tended to stay in one spot! I write about it often!
Diane recently posted… Edible Snakes
Twitter: alphabetsalad
February 6, 2014
That makes sense!
Laurel Regan recently posted… Another snow day
Twitter: RambinGarden
February 6, 2014
My hometown. Is it New York City, the city I grew up in? I fled from NYC the second I graduated from college (I didn’t even stick around to go to my own graduation ceremony) but fell back in love with the City in my 50′s and 60′s. Or is it the Binghamton, New York area, where I have lived for over 25 years? Or a combination? I like to think it is a combination of both. Both made me into what I am.
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Twitter: alphabetsalad
February 8, 2014
I’ve always felt that NYC is the city I was meant to be born and live in.
Laurel Regan recently posted… Random observations on life in the blogosphere
Twitter: themhalf
February 7, 2014
I often start with “my parents were in the military so I grew up on Air Force bases all over until I was 16.” Both of my parents are gone now, and I live in Austin, Texas, but I think of Denver as my hometown. It’s where I graduated from high school, went to college, and met & married my husband. Sometimes, as someone else mentioned, it’s not a conversation worth diving into, so I just say I live in Austin.
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Twitter: alphabetsalad
February 8, 2014
I’m finding it interesting how many others have moved as much as (or more than) I have. Kind of glad I’m not the only one who finds the question a bit of a challenge!
Laurel Regan recently posted… Random observations on life in the blogosphere
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