If you live somewhere other than where you were born, do you call yourself a local?

[TravelingChris]

NOw I am in a strange predicament. I am living in Northern Virginia. In fact, I am living in the same postal code I was living in when I graduated from high school. SInce high school, I visited for two summers then never moved back. 27 years later, came back with dh and family due to his being stationed at the Pentagon. Do I consider myself a native here? No, not really. WHy? Because since the time I left to the time I came back, 2.5 million people moved in and I haven't lived through those changes. This place isn't so completely different but I have only met one person I probably saw since I used to live here. A teacher in my high school my senior year is now a homeschool mom in my co-op. Since I had a class in the same hall she taught in, I probably had seen her and she me but she never taught me and so I presume I never talked to her. No one else here do I know from back then. THey may be around but I don't think I would recognise them. Anyway, since we are Florida legal residents and that is where we lived last, we say we are Floridians. We were Californians for 19 years before that.

[Crimson Wife]

Well, I'm usually very clear when asked...

 

I currently reside in CA. I've lived here 13 years, 10 months, 38 days.

 

I'm still hoping for an early parole for good behavior.

 

Me too, LOL! :lol:

 

I was born in CA, went to college in the state, and have lived there for 12 out of the past 15 years but I am NOT a Californian! I'm a New Englander who happens to be living in California. ;)

[lllll]

..

[Veritaserum]

If "local" means "native", nope. I generally ask the more specific "Where did you grow up?"

 

I'll always be a California girl and don't intend to ever be "from" where I currently live (it just isn't as cool). :tongue_smilie: I tend to say, "We live in ____."

[sbgrace]

We've lived in the same town for 13 years. I taught in the school system nine of those years. I belong to a community service organization and we're active and yet we're still outsiders really. My friends (as opposed to acquaintances/friendly how are you doing conversations) are all outsiders too and many have lived here longer than we have. I don't know anyone who has "moved in" and feels differently. That includes those who located here after they married people from the community!

 

This is just not a inclusive community for some reason. Maybe because people often grow up here and stay around. That includes, it seems, those who go away to school. Many come back. There are already deep social roots from childhood. I don't know. It's weird but doesn't bother me.

Edited May 25, 2010 by sbgrace

[OrganicAnn]

I've lived a few places. I usually say that I'm *from* the city/state where I went to high school. But if the conversation is more in depth, then I say the city/state I were I was born.

 

I don't how long it will be before I will say where I am currently living (6 years) or this area (about 19 years - still feel like a transplant).

[sleepymommy]

I don't feel local anywhere:glare:

 

I was born in Jersey, but moved to Va when I was young. I grew up in a community that always felt too small townish for me and it never really felt like home. I moved to Ny in my early twenties and lived there for nearly 10 years. But it was hard to feel like home because I would always get asked where I was from and I would always reply Va.

 

Now I'm back in Va, (different part than where I grew up) and when people asked where I moved here from, the story is always way too long. If I just say "from NY", the conversation ends up as follows:

curious person- "which part?"

me- " I bounced back and forth b/w Manhattan, Queens and Long Island"

curious person-"well this must be a big change for you then, huh?"

me- "yes, but not too much because I grew up in Va"

curious person-" oh so it must be nice to be home."

me- "I didn't grow up here, I grew up in xyz"

 

I've had this same exact conversation more times than I can count. Will I ever feel local here? Doubt it, it would have to be at least 15 years I think.

[Peela]

I call myself a local because I have lived here since I was 18yo, and that is 27 years ago now. So I have lived here longer than my home state.

However, when asked where I come from or was born...I say where I come from, not here.

Being a local is different, in my mind, to saying thats where one originated.

[happi duck]

I am a local, but not a native.

Good way to put it!

[Laura Corin]

I say I'm from Bristol, where I was born and raised. I'll still be from Bristol however long I live in Fife.

 

Laura

[Laura Corin]

Well, when I used to tell people that I was from Japan (where I was born and lived most of the first 17 years of my life) people would tell me "no you're not". :glare:

 

 

He got the look from people, however, so now he says he was born in Hong Kong.

 

Laura

[nono]

Yes, because I live 365 days a year in a tourist town, where 80-90% of the housing is second homes. Nothing says "local" like voting rights. ;)