Yesterday, I had 'That Moment'...

The one where you sort of, kind of, forgot you didn't sound like everyone else and that you're not really from here.

I was at an event with a friend last night, and we had struck up a conversation with someone else.  We talked to this other person for about 10 minutes before she eventually asked "Now, where is it you're from?".  I replied with where I am living, and she gave me this kind of confused look.

I stood there for a minute, also somewhat confused, and then realised that she meant where I was from originally.  It just hadn't even occurred to me.  I just could not believe I thought otherwise. 

I guess I'm at a point where I just don't really think about it anymore? I suppose when I'm with my friends, it's such old news that it's easy to forget.  It made me realise that I don't really hear accents anymore, either.

It's kind of an identity crisis moment!  But at the same time, it's a nice indication that I'm really settling in here.  I guess I feel like, to some extent at least, that I belong here now (well, aside from the constant reminder that the government wants me out!  )

Has anyone else had a similar moment? Is this a normal thing? Share! 

it is an odd feeling. mine was when someone at work was talking about some kids show or musician from their childhood and looked at me and said something along the lines of 'ooh, you are too young to remember that' not the usual 'did they have that  in the states? '

Hehe, yeah. Whenever someone asks me, 'Where's home?' I unthinkingly say, 'Cupar!' before anything else.

Coming back from Vienna I definitely thought of it as returning home. Not that I hadn't felt that way before, but this felt extra-settled/permanent-like.

Granted, I still say "back home" sometimes, like in regards to my upcoming visit to the US, but I just mean it in the "where my parents live" sense, not what I consider to be home.

I still have people ask where I am from after 9 years sometimes I forget that
I am American especially now that I have a daughter all of my
Focus is on her instead of me living in a foreign country
This feels more like home.  I do still feel like a tourist
When I visit london. And I will feel totally lost when baby starts school. She has started
Nursery. It's funny how the staff are called nursery nurses. Just when u think u know it all
About the uk, after 9 years I still have things to learn!!!

You know, most of the time during my everyday life, it doesn't occur to me that I'm not from the US.  Occasionally someone will ask me where I'm from, but it doesn't make me feel like an "outsider", because most people I know in Boston are not originally from here.  Consequently, New England is probably the one place I have lived where I really feel like I "belong".

In contrast, when I visit home (UK), friends and family like to talk about my accent, or start asking me questions about "why Americans do this or that".  The fixation on the accent is fine at first, but eventually irritates me because at the end of the day it really doesn't matter!  Who cares, as long as you can communicate?  The second part - where they might say things like "I've always found Americans to be loud" - gets me a bit defensive, because after all I have lived here for 5 years and feel a connection to the place.  In turn, that comes with a realization that I'm really integrated into American life, and less so into British life these days. 

I had someone ask me "so where's home?" and I started to reply "I live about a half hour walk that way" when she interrupted to explain that she meant where I'm from (originally). 

I've heard that women are at "home" wherever their children are born and men feel at "home" wherever their job is. Not sure if that is true.

I've heard that women are at "home" wherever their children are born and men feel at "home" wherever their job is. Not sure if that is true.

That is really interesting. I've never thought about it that way. As I am a midwest transplant to the southwest (southern arizona) I have always thought that Chicago was home...until I went back to find that it wasn't home anymore just a place where I used to live. Arizona isn't home either. The funniest thing is that I've always felt a "coming home" kind of feeling when we go to Scotland. My skin and hair changes (for the better) and the sound of the people's voices wrap around me and is very comforting. My husband seems to be at home here but it is so obvious that he is "home" in Scotland. He gets this gleem in his eye and a bounce in his step that he only has in the UK.

Yeah, home is really subjective. If anyone asked me "where's home" even now I couldn't tell them. Although, frankly, home for me is London, where me and my husband started our life together. Even though we own a home in Los Angeles and I grew up in Mass, I don't feel either of those are home.

Yeah, home is really subjective. If anyone asked me "where's home" even now I couldn't tell them. Although, frankly, home for me is London, where me and my husband started our life together. Even though we own a home in Los Angeles and I grew up in Mass, I don't feel either of those are home.

I think it's true what they say about how "home is where the heart is". And ours is with each other. We also have a piece of artwork that our friend gave us to hang wherever we end up. It's supposed to be a symbol of home wherever we go.

I've noticed, in conversation, people are very specific. Like asking me where I "currently reside" or "live" as opposed to where I'm from. I have a funny accent, I've been told, as I sound more Canadian than midwestern.

Sad part is I almost hate correcting them because it leads to that weird conversational lull where the other person is like.. "crap".

A childhood friend who ended up over a thousand miles away from our hometown area after a lot of moving around in the Air Force (but still in the States) always says 'Home is where your mom is'. We were talking about it once, because of me living over here and her having been in so many states over the years. We both feel that way because although we both feel 'at home' where we are, we both still consider our hometown area to be home.

A childhood friend who ended up over a thousand miles away from our hometown area after a lot of moving around in the Air Force (but still in the States) always says 'Home is where your mom is'. We were talking about it once, because of me living over here and her having been in so many states over the years. We both feel that way because although we both feel 'at home' where we are, we both still consider our hometown area to be home.

What happens when your mum retires somewhere else? I have zero connection to where my parents live.

I can't say this is true for everyone, but how she and I feel about it. I was just putting the thought out there.. as a thought.

We both know our moms are going to stay put. Her parents are quite happy where they are. Mom and dad are divorced, but dad now owns his parents' house and mom  bought her parents' house. I'm not sure what either of us would feel if our moms moved in the future, if the situation arose that one or both moved.