Where Are You From?

Seems like a simple enough question, right? Not for me. I was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I lived there until I was about three, then my family moved to a small town named Ozark, Missouri. We lived on a farm...I remember my mom braiding my hair every morning while looking out of a big window in the living room. WHY did she have to pull my hair so tight that it made my eyes squint? Then my parents got divorced. After moving around within Ozark a couple of times, we eventually moved to Nashua, which is a suburb of Kansas City. I was in kindergarten. In the Nashua house I remember girl scouts...and falling off the back of a motorcycle going up a hill in my front yard...and watching my cat get hit by a car and holding it in my arms as it died....I remember our neighbor Trisha had a trampoline and I swore it was the most amazing thing that had ever happened to me. I remember going exploring with my brother in this open field...there was this really scary white dog who would chase us and I was always terrified one day we wouldn't be able to out run him. In first grade we moved again. This time we moved to Kansas City to a neighborhood called Gracemor. We had a neighborhood pool where we would ride our bikes to every single day in the summer and stay from open to close. I used to pack picnic lunches, and my brother, my best friend Crystal, her brother and I would lunch in the woods next to the pool. I had my first french kiss there. I met my friend Cherie in second grade, and we remain best friends to this day. I stole my sisters clothes...I collected wormie dermies...I did gymnastics in the front yard while my brother played "Guns" or "War"..whatever they called it. It was in this neighborhood that my dream came true and mom bought us our very own trampoline.  We lived there until I was 15...we then moved a couple of more times within KC...I learned how to drive...I got drunk for the first time...I fell in love...I had my first job...then my 5th...I moved out on my own during my senior year in high school. I got my first apartment with my best friend Emily and fell in love again. I moved to New Mexico when I was 18. I have so many memories from living in New Mexico too....I lived there seven years...graduated from college...moved to Korea.

So where am I from? Am I from Colorado because I was born there? Am I from Kansas City because I've lived the majority of my life there? Because I met my life-long friends there? Because my Dad still lives in Missouri? Am I from New Mexico because that was the last place I held residency? Because my brother and mom still live there? Or am I from Daejeon because I've lived here 4 months?

Recently, I was standing on the street taking a survey from one of the 5,000 Korean university kids who roam the streets searching for foreigners to complete a 5 min survey for an assignment from their English class...The student asked me this seemingly standard/no hassle question, "Where are you from?" I decided on this particular day to choose Missouri, when someone I was with (who shall remain nameless) yelled in my face, "NO YOU'RE NOT! YOU ARE LYING! YOU'RE FROM NEW MEXICO!" Not only was I embarrassed, but I felt the need to justify myself which is completely and utterly ridiculous.

So really....WHERE am I from again?

Comments

[Vanessa]

Julia,
I sooooo can relate, as you know. You are from all of those places, they all have special places in your heart!
Nessie

[Conner]

JuJu, you are from Albuquerque because that's where I met you when I was a little baby and you got to be my aunt there. So that's where you're from.

[Vero]

This post made me smile, Julia, because so many of us are in limbo between residency, birthplace and where we feel our heart belongs.

My husband asked me last night if one day, after living in England for a long time, I'd start saying "I'm from England" rather than "I'm from Canada" and my answer is that I don't know.

As long as you're happy, which you seem to be, you must be where you belong at that point in your life!

Either way, I love your writing, reminding me not to paint all Americans with the same brush of self-centeredness and lack of world awareness.

Keep writing!

[Lydia]

Last night I stumbled upon your writing, and I couldn't stop laughing. I stayed up until 2am reading your entries and when I woke up this morning I had to check if you wrote anything new. I am a new fan! What caught my attention was the fact that you are in Korea. I'm Korean, but i've never been there. I was born and raised in Canada but have never ventured to Asia. I've been kinda scared to. So i'm reading about your adventures and am living vicariously through you. You seem like a really great person and I hope you keep up the fantastic work.