As the child of a military officer, I have often moved from state to state or country to country with my family. I love every new experience, new person and new lesson that I learn. However, with every move comes the dreaded "make friends" stage.
My first year at Hopkins was very similar to the moves I had made in the past, which meant that I would be going through the "make friends" stage once again. This stage is characterized by awkward questions and ice breakers. The most common questions (specifically for a freshman college) include "What is your major?", "What year are you?" and the dreaded "Where are you from?" When I got on campus it took me a month to decided how I wanted to answer that question.
I began stating that I was from Germany. It was true. My family was currently stationed at an Air Force base in Germany, so that was where I currently lived when not at school. But this answer brought a new onslaught of questions.
"Oh! So you're German!" No...
"Do you speak German?" No...
"How long have you lived there?" Only one year...
That would ultimately bring the person I was talking with to conclude that I was not from Germany.
So then I began stating that I was from Alaska, which is kind of true... I lived there for the most influential years of my life, ninth through 11th grade. But once it was established that I do not currently live there, it was again concluded that that is not where I am from.
Finally, I just began to tell people I am not from anywhere.
This put me on the receiving end of multiple weird looks; however, after I told them my dad is in the military, they were less confused. The most entertaining part of this was that the person whom I was talking to would then take it upon themselves to figure out where I'm from.
"So where do you live?" Germany, but I've only been there a year....
"Well, where were you born?" North Carolina, but I moved away less than two years later...
"How about the place you have lived the longest?" Florida, but that was only three and a half years and I hated it...
*Insert tone of frustration*
"Well then, how about your favorite place?" Well, that's Alaska, but I would never want to live there again...
Eventually, I would be told to list all the places that I've ever lived.
North Carolina, Nebraska, Georgia, Texas (*insert their comment about Texas, because everyone always has something to say about Texas*), Florida, South Korea, Alaska and Germany.
And that was a conversation that I had with at least 200 people during my first week of school.
Because I am a military brat (a term I use fondly) I will never be from somewhere. Instead, I am from everywhere, an international nomad of sorts. I was blessed with a life of traveling. At 19 years old I have lived in five different states, in three different countries and on three different continents, and have traveled to more than triple that. Life is difficult at times, and being uprooted multiple times is always hard, but I wouldn't change my experiences for anything.
So if you ask a military child where he or she is from, just be ready for the long explanation that will follow whatever answer you get.
