We all meet so many different people in our lives. People that come from all over and share with us their past in new ways. Whether it be a new friend or a potential partner, this question always comes up, "So... where are you from?" Most have a straight answer. Most have hometowns filled with memories and some are small that they have to explain and say some big city that people would understand the distance. They explain where it is, how small or big it was growing up or just a general background of their lives there. They talk about their friends, people they like, people they hate, people that were hilarious or the ones that made a lasting impression.

However, when the question gets directed back there are cases that have to say "I didn't have a hometown." or "I moved around a lot so I didn't grow up in one place." It's not always military families, though that is the most likely answer. Some parents like to move and when they pack up the house, the kids are forced to leave with them. It could be just one move away or it could be multiple times. Personally, I went to 10 different schools throughout K-12. My mom was just the type to move around and with that, I gained a lot of experience in new places. I can pack up my room and label boxes faster and we have our house packed and ready in less than a week if I have to. I learned social skills and adapting to new areas very quickly when I was younger and that helps me today talk to people and communicate around others that don't have the same background as me. I grew up in different states with a range of personalities around me every school I went to. I'm not ashamed to say I didn't have a hometown but I also have to explain why every time. Military brats know how hard it is to pack up and re-adjust to your surroundings just to make a friend in a new place. It's the same with any other kid that had to leave a place they are attached to.

A hometown can mean so many different things to different people but when it comes to those that didn't have that security of staying in the same place for more than a few years it's hard to relate to others. We can't just say "All my family is there and I see them whenever I go home, or that is where I grew up and it made me who I am today." Most don't even leave that hometown or go out of state their entire lives. I am who I am today because I saw different places and backgrounds. I grew up with not just one set of friends but so many from all over the nation. I am proud to say I don't have a hometown because my home is mine to choose later on when I am ready to settle down. I'm apart of the no hometown club because while I may have stayed in my current area for more than 6 years, it will never be considered my "hometown". I really don't have one.