Hometown

So here is a question.  What is your hometown?  When I hear the term hometown I think of it as the town that people grew up in, so for me my hometown is Harlingen.  But what about the city that I currently live in?  Is that also my hometown?  Can you have two hometowns?  Sometimes I want to brag on my hometown of Houston, but then I hesitate.  Is Houston really my hometown?

I know that I can call it anything I want, but I'm curious as to what you think of when you hear the term hometown.  And where are you living currently?  What do you call it?

P.S.  Obviously if you are currently living in the town you grew up in you are excused from this discussion.

P.P.S.  If this post doesn't make any sense blame the complete high that I am on from a perfect air show weekend.

Comments

[Jim Thompson]

Good question. For many years, my hometown was where I grew up, Huntsville, AL. But I've lived in the Houston area for 23 years, and Pearland for 18, so Pearland is pretty much my home town - it is, after all, where home is now. My Dad no longer lives in the Huntsville house where I grew up, so it's hard to call that city home.

[Teresa]

When people ask me my hometown I say the place where I was born which is San Francisco. I've lived there 3 different times in my life and several other places but none more than seven years. I call the current place I'm living (hitting the six year mark) my "home" but I don't consider it my hometown.

[twitter.com/mikeeperez]

I've lived in Dallas almost a year, and for the previous three I lived in the Austin area. But I was born and raised in Harlingen, and I care for that stupid little town like it's a member of my family. So, yes, I consider it my hometown.

It's weird because I see things -- businesses, museums, parks, restaurants and entertainment venues -- that I immediately think, "That would be PERFECT for Harlingen." But then reality sets in and I realize that Harlingen living up to my own personal standards is a long way off. I feel guilty for leaving home, but I realize that if I want to be happy, I have to be in a nurturing environment. I feel that one day I may return, but until then home will be where I can live and grow and possibly spread some roots.

[Paula]

I think what you are trying to distinguish between is where home is and what your hometown is. I grew up in a small town in Iowa. Iowa Falls will always be my hometown because that's where I grew up and memories are. I like going to my hometown because as much as things change, there's also things that stay very much the same. However that being said I wouldn't want to live there again. Houston is home.

Houston is a place where I feel I fit and I have life that is incredibly blessed. I have someone I love, I have friends that I wouldn't have if I didn't live here, I have a fantastic job. This where my life is being lived and I think it's perfectly fine to brag about the good things that are going on here.

[Trinity]

Home is where your heart is. My sister and I have two different concepts of "home" even though we grew up in the same places, for almost the same amounts of time. Home to her is Cleveland, where we were both born, and home to me is Houston. It's kind of funny that "home" for me isn't even the whole of Houston; I lived down by the medical center for a few years, and it felt like I was visiting. Now that I'm back on the west side, I feel comfortable and home.

[laanba]

I love all these wonderful comments. Keep them coming.

It isn't just about what I call a hometown, but the word hometown itself. For example I wanted to add a comment to an air show forum about the air show this weekend and the comment was along the lines of "I am proud of my hometown airshow." But how do other people perceive the word hometown? If I said that would they think I was born and raised here or would they just think it is where I'm living now.

[Sarah]

I call both Houston and Charlotte (NC) home. One place is where I grew up, one place is where I've now lived for 7+ years. It's funny, when I talk about going "home" for Christmas, I mean going to my parents' place in Charlotte. But when I'm there and talk about "home" I mean Houston.

I think you can have multiple hometowns.

[DigiNee]

Hum ---- I live in Houston, but my hometown is Little Rock . . . BUT, will have to ponder this some more . . . is Houston my hometown? I like what Sarah said . . . visiting "home" is always good, but I am always ready to get "home".

[John]

I grew up in Stratford, CT, but the last time I was there (a couple of years ago) it didn't feel like a hometown, other than some basic "oh, New England, I will always love New England" feelings. I lived in Boston for nine years, but it's not. home. I've been in Houston for five, and while I like it a lot, it's not a hometown.

My adopted hometown is the place I lived 8 years between Boston and Houston: Washington, DC. It's the place where I feel absolutely like myself. If my whole life fell apart it's where I'd go to gather myself back together. It's the place where I had amazing friends and amazing memories, and while I am very happy with my life in Houston, sometimes I miss DC so much that I ache. When I go back and the plane is coming into National Airport and I can look out the window and see the Potomac River and the cars squeezing across the 14th Street Bridge from the plane window, I get a lump in my throat.

[Solburn]

I'm a military brat and growing up, I moved just about every 3 years. I would actually get an "itch" and feel the NEED to move. I've gotten over the itch.

But to answer the question, New Castle, DE is my hometown. I spend most of my younger formative years there; middle school, 3 years of high school and about 4 years of college.

In addition to that, my Mom still lives there =)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chefsfotos/396979948/

[Sandra]

I grew up in El Campo and couldn't wait to 'escape' when I was younger. We got the Houston TV stations and I always longed to be here so I could see shows, concert, museums without it being a 'big deal' - EC is only a 1 1/2 hours away but in small towns driving to the next town 20 mins away during the rain was a 'big deal'. As I grew older though amd life got more complicated I came to appreciate my hometown. Whenever I need comfort I 'escape' there now. Funny how life works....

One more thing...I went to college in San Marcos and also consider the hill country my hometown.

El Campo and San Marcos are my hometowns....

[Kell]

For me, I guess I'd say Plano. That's not where I was born, but it's the place I've lived the longest in my life (15 years). It may change when I've lived somewhere else that long!