Lately I've been contemplating that question quite a bit. "Where are you from?" seems like a pretty basic thing, just a request for information that you should be able to answer without even thinking. Problem is, I do think, and that's where it gets tricky.
See, when someone asks me where I'm from, a whole host of possibilities pops into my mind. Do you mean, where was I born? Or where did I live before I came here? Or even, where do I live right now? And the list of answers grows even longer when you consider who is asking the question and what information they really want. Do you want to know all the places I've lived? Or the place that I truly consider home?
Everywhere I've lived has been "home", at least for a little while. Every place has both good and bad memories. And because of that, every place is part of me now. To really answer the question, I'd have to list everywhere I've ever lived, which isn't always the best idea in a casual conversation! (Most folks' eyes start to glaze over...not fun.) In my mind, though, I'm from all those places. Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Germany, South Carolina - even West Virginia, thanks to lots of time there with grandparents and aunts and uncles.
Honestly, most of the time I go for the easy answer, the most obvious choice. "We moved here from Michigan" is really all most people want to hear. Sometimes, though, the list of places I call "home" rolls through my mind and I have to pause a moment to decide which one I want right now. So if I hesitate when someone asks me where I'm from, that's why.
Where are you from?
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