I am often asked, "Where do you come from?" For many people, there is a simple answer. My husband, for example, was born and raised in a small farming community of 450 people. When he is asked this question, he can easily respond, "Hay, Washington." Yes, you heard right...HAY, Washington!
My story is not so simple. I was born in South Ruislip, United Kingdom, to a father who was a Mississippi-bred, American Airmen stationed in Chicksands, England and a mother whose family had emigrated from Poland during World War II, to Hitchin, England. That doesn't seem too complex, you might say, but let me throw this into the mix. Although I was born in England, I spent very little of my childhood there.
Before the age of 18, I had lived in three countries and ten towns. I graduated from a Department of Defense School in Wiesbaden, Germany called General H. H. Arnold High School. As a child, the longest period of time I spent in any once place, was five years in Germany. I have had people ask me if I was from Germany and I've even had people ask me why I do not have a German accent. I have had people ask me where my accent is from. My answer differs because if I'm talking to my father or his family, I tend to sound a little like them. Ya'll understand? If I'm talking to my mother or her family, I sound a little more aristocratic. I may not look the part, but I sure can sound the part!! In my normal day-to-day life, I have been told I sound like I'm from the midwest and even the northeast.
So when people ask, "Where do you come from?", the only answer I can give is "Everywhere!" Then the questions really start!!
What was it like moving around all the time? I think that is crazy the longest you have lived in one place was only five years. I have lived in Warner Robins for 19 years, and i always wish that I could escape this little ole town and go some where exciting.
ReplyDeleteHi Kimberly, It was exciting to move around so much. I got to experience new and wonderful things and make lots of great friends. The hardest part was leaving old friends, but now I have friends from all over the world. I feel that having the opportunity to learn about different cultures has helped shape me into an open-minded, accepting adult. I have now lived in WR since 2008, but a part of me is always itching to move. :)
ReplyDeleteI think it would be awesome to live in so many different places. Was there any places that you liked more than the others? I like living in Warner Robins, but sometimes I wish I could live somewhere different.
ReplyDeleteI've been lucky to live and travel to many beautiful countries. I think my absolute favorite place, I visited was Morocco. The culture and environment were so different than any other I have experienced.
ReplyDeleteI would like to hear you speak like an Aristocrat. My family is Military also. I get some funny looks when people ask my family where we are from. My daughter says New Jersey, My husband says Georgia and my son says DC. I usually don't say anything
ReplyDeletebecause I would just confuse matters more by my response which varies by day. sometimes I say NY, where I was born. sometimes I say PA where I spent my childhood and other times I say Virginia Beach, Virginia where I spent most of my young adult years.
Wow, you have lived in so many interesting places. I have had the opposite experience with travels, as I have lived in Warner Robins my entire life. I am very much in a "comfort zone" here, and I feel like I could learn a lot from having experiences in different parts of the world. I think that it's really neat how you take on a different accent depending on what part of your family that you're around. It's really interesting how our minds do things without us even intending to do them. Hopefully you will have some more cool travels in the future!
ReplyDeleteI always wanted to learn how to speak more than one language, and to know what it is like to travel across the world. Warner Robins is my heart and i love my little small city, but i definitely cant live here for my entire life . I want to explore the world more and see what is it like.
ReplyDeleteThis summer i visited Deer Park, Washington. With a population 3,700, I can't even imagine a town of 450! Washington is very pretty though and your husband was lucky to grow up there.
ReplyDeleteI have moved a lot as well! It's fun but for now, I'm glad I'm able to settle and plant a "home". My mother is from North Vietnam and my dad is from the south. Not many people know this, but both have a different dialect so when I talk to my mom or anyone from her side of the family, my Vietnamese accent and dialect is slightly different from when I would speak to my dad or anyone from his side of the family. It's confusing but I feel like it's unique because it's not common for many Vietnamese people to be fluent in both!
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