Some people are able to think of their hometown as part of their identity. When they are asked where they are from or where their family comes from, they can give a straight answer. They can call that place home and might not even want to leave their hometown. It's a big part of their life that they don't want to leave behind along with all of those memories they had there.

I, however, cannot identify myself with my hometown. I have lived in a few different towns, which makes it difficult to pinpoint where my hometown would even be, or which place I can call home. When someone asks me where I'm from, I have to kind of sit there for a moment and think about what to say. Sometimes my answers are different.

Do I tell them I'm from Fort Plain, because I've lived there for the majority of my life, or do I tell them I'm from Corinth, the town I lived in for three years when I first started high school? Do I tell them I'm from Ballston Spa, because that's where I live now?

I see so many articles from people writing about their hometowns, saying so many positive things about the place they can call home. I wanted to write something nice and cheery like that, but I can't quite put my finger on which town I can actually call my hometown. I feel like I move around so much that I can't really call any place my home.

I lived in Fort Plain for most of my life, but it never felt like home to me. I have nothing good to say about it. I don't know whether I'm just a pessimist or if that town was just a crappy place to live. It was a small town out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by farms with absolutely nothing to do. As a relatively shy and introverted person, I didn't have a lot of friends there and because small towns tend to have a pretty tight-knit community, it was difficult to find anyone I even felt comfortable talking to without feeling like I was just bothering them or invading their space. I had very few friends as a kid, and when I moved back there for my senior year, I felt even more alone.

When I moved to Corinth to start high school, it wasn't as bad as Fort Plain was. It was closer to larger towns that actually have fun things to do, and I made friends pretty quickly at that school. It felt more like home than pretty much anywhere else I had lived, which made it difficult for me when I had to move back to Fort Plain for a year.

I live in Ballston Spa right now, but during the semester I live in the dorms at SUNY Adirondack. I've barely been home since summer, so I can't say much about Ballston Spa and I'm very unfamiliar with the area. I feel like I'm home in my dorm room, but I know that's temporary and I can only live there during semesters, so I can't really say that's my home.

I'm writing this article for anyone who is like me, who moves around a lot and can't pinpoint where their hometown is, or anyone who doesn't feel like their hometown is actually home for them. It's okay if you can't identify yourself with your hometown. Your identity is more than a place. If you're from a place that never felt like home, it's okay to not have anything positive to say about that place. It's okay to hate it. We're all just trying to find where we belong, and one day you'll have a place to call home.