My family moved four days before my sixth birthday, so I am never sure what to claim as my hometown. Is my hometown the first place I lived? The first place I remember living? Or the place that I have the most memories at? There is a different answer for each of those questions. Or should I just use the old standby of "Eenie, Meenie"?
In college (and abroad), every time someone asked me where I was from I always said Columbus. Mostly because I doubt many people have heard of the town my family currently lives in. Also because it is the best generalization for my problem, stated above. I mean, technically, I was born in downtown Columbus. I was definitely not a happy camper when my family moved, but the karaoke machine my family chipped in to get for my birthday helped soften the blow. Man, I miss that thing. I totally played with the microphones long after the machine broke. Didn't quite make up for the lack of a neighborhood lifestyle, but anyway...
So what makes a hometown? I guess if we're going by Merriam-Webster's opinion, it would be the place that I "grew up". Unfortunately for Merriam-Webster, I am still growing up. I will always be growing up. But I guess I did the majority of my growing up (so far) in Granville, Ohio. Sixteen years living in one place, granted, a few years of that was spent back and forth from college and such. Part of me will always love both of the places that I remember living in, though not enough to make me ever want to continue living there. GIVE ME WARMTH. Images via, via