Here’s What It’s Like Having Two Hometowns
Growing up in rainy Seattle, Washington, it was clear to me that I didn’t need to go anywhere else. Seattle had perfect rainy days, fresh air, and the beautiful Pacific Northwest. So, when my family said that we were picking up and moving to sunny San Diego, California, I did more than just panic. However, I got quickly acclimated to the sunny seaside town much faster than expected. What happens when your childhood is in one city, and your adolescence in another? For those who move a lot, you will understand the feeling of being torn between several hometowns, relating with all of them and not knowing which one to call truly home. If you know what I’m talking about, see if you relate with any of these constant feelings:
1. You mix memories up.
Sometimes the location of a certain event or occasion will be lost on you. You might think it took place in Town A, but it was very much Town B. Memories of hometowns blend together and it becomes one jumbled mess.
2. No one knows what schools you went to.
It’s hard to relate to other people when they discuss elementary/middle or high school because you most definitely were not in one place.
3. You can’t go back to the places you grew up with.
It’s difficult to travel back to the hometowns that you are familiar with because often they are too far away to travel to, it’s more than just a drive away for most.
4. You don’t get the local jargon/culture.
You might not get local slang or how they function. You’ve gathered your own unique style of doing things and you can’t help but to look at the locals and make a face.
5. You get homesick.
You crave certain aspects of other towns, and you can’t help but get a little sentimental about all the places you’ve been.
6. You miss your friends.
You can’t help but think about all the friends you have made along the way, and all the friends you had to leave behind.
7. You’re good at packing your stuff.
You can’t help but be good at knowing exactly where all your stuff is and were you placed it in all the rooms you had, making you the perfect candidate for packing up and moving on to the next place.
8. Family is from all over, road trips are common.
You have relatives EVERYWHERE which means road tripping and going to grandmas could mean long car or plane rides to get anywhere.
9. You have more pins on the map than anyone else.
Being from everywhere means that you probably have lived or visited many more places than those who have grown up in one place their whole lives
10. You’re your own person.
You are more unique and different that all the individuals you encounter, you carry culture from everywhere you’ve been and everywhere you will go. You know how to stick to who you are and be your own person.
