It's a question that always gets me. The one common inquiry I have no straight answer for...where are you from? In all honesty, I have no answer. Do I say that I've lived in one state for this many years and another for two more? Do I just go with where I live now and try to avoid the long, drawn out explanation that I, in fact, have no particular place I grew up in? Growing up in a military family makes one either from everywhere or nowhere at once, granted with a healthy dose of gray area in between.

This is certainly different for other individuals who have never experienced this life style. People across the nation have never moved once, while others have moved only once or twice. No matter the case, the answer to the question where you are from is one that can definitely seem as if it shall forever define who you are as a person. From the stereotypes people think of to the daily traditions of where you are from, it all seems to filter into who you are. However, in moving around so much, I am here to say, this is not the case.

It's not where you're from that matters, but where you are going. Think about it. A geographic location cannot create the boundaries on your personality. It cannot stop you from trying new opportunities - only you can. Whether it be a small town that ranges from feeling strict and constricting to cozy and comforting, or a large city that pushes you into embracing both loneliness and liveliness at the same time, where you are from is only a small part of the story that you have yet to live. It is merely the backdrop for all the adventures you have to take.

Living in various different places where people call home, I have come to realize that whatever plans one creates for his or her life are not defined by the boundaries and traditions of a specific place. Dreams and goals transcend limits and only go as far as a person is willing to take them. Where you are going is much one line on a map; it is a compilation of everything that you plan to be and how to get there all intertwined.

Where you're from is merely a question of your past. Where are you going is road map to the future.