Where were you born or raised?

[DammitJanet]

I thought this might be an interesting topic so we might get to know more about each other. With members from all over the world it would be interesting to read about different places.

I will go first!

I was born and raised in Richmond, VA until I was 21 years old at which time I moved to Myrtle Beach SC.

I actually lived in the Bon Air area in Chesterfield County if anyone is from the greater Richmond area. I remember when Cloverleaf Mall was the BIG mall and the place to hang out as a teen and Chesterfield Mall was nothing but a few small stores. Now Cloverleaf is closed down and Chesterfield Mall is called something else and is huge...lol. The first and only psychiatric hospital I ever went to in VA is still there but it is attached to a hospital that I wouldnt recogonize today on a bet. I went to Stoney Point and Good Shephard in elementary school...then Robious Jr high and onto Midlothian High. My dad still lives in Brandermill.

I got married the first time because I was a difficult child and got pregnant at 18. We got married at the Chesterfield Courthouse. I later threw him out after he abused me. My baby...oldest son...was about 9 months old. I lived with my mom then. She had started divorce proceedings with my dad by then. Best thing that ever happened to him...lol. About a year later me and my mom and my son moved to Myrtle Beach and the rest is another story!

 

[rejectedmom]

I'm from another planet ...at least that is what my family says. Actually I was born in NY. LOL

 

[Lothlorien]

Jersey Shore born and raised. Lived in several states, but always seemed to make it back here. I happened to like living near the shore. Since I grew up just a few blocks from the beach, I miss it when I'm away from it.

 

[trinityroyal]

Born and raised in Toronto. I have lived elsewhere in my time, but Toronto is home.

 

[mrscatinthehat]

Iowa. Like Loth I move other places but somehow always come back.

beth

 

[DammitJanet]

Thats a nice area Loth. by the way....I just glanced at your profile...is Mighty Mouse 5 already? Wow. I remember the Thomas track Xmas set. What was he...almost 3 then?

 

[KTMom91]

Born and raised in CA...moved every year whether we needed to or not for a while, because my dad never met a job transfer he didn't like. Only time I've lived outside CA was for three months in the Seattle area when I was in 2nd grade...one of the three schools I attended that year.

Been in the Fresno area off and on since 1971. Was living in the Bay Area when Miss KT was born. Guess I'm back in the valley to stay.

 

[everywoman]

Born and raised in a small historical seaport town on the SC coast---not far from MB where Janet lived. In fact, while she was living there, I was too. Moved back to hometown when PCson was 4--been here since. The beach is 10 minutes away, the river is 10 minutes in the other direction....water, water everywhere----

 

[Nancy]

Born and raised in Cleveland on the near west side of the river. It was an Italian town then, our church was built by proud Italian immigrants and most work in that area was done by Italian bricklayers. It's very old and run down now, our house has been torn down. The old families have long died or left but my 80 year old dad still lives in the area so I am there frequently.

I now live about 30 minutes south of the original house. Didn't go very far from home.

Nancy

 

[gcvmom]

I wish they all could be California girrrrrrrls....

I'm a second generation California native. Born in Redondo Beach, moved inland until I was 8, then moved back to the beach (a little further south) where my parents still live today. When we first moved to "the O.C." there were still miles of farm fields with tomatoes, cauliflower, strawberries, oranges, avocadoes, lima beans, asparagus, corn, and zucchini, to name a few. Now we are hard pressed to find an acre of undeveloped land, which is very sad to me. Many more houses and people have changed the landscape -- sometimes for the better, sometimes not. I guess change is inevitable.

I've lived in four different cities in "the O.C." so far. I imagine we'll stay put here at least until all the kids are gone. I'd love to travel more if and when husband can ever retire.

 

[DammitJanet]

Isnt that funny EW...we may have walked by each other on a daily basis and never knew we would end up on a message board 20 some years later...lmao.

Nancy...I would love to see that area. Arent we going to Ohio for the board reunion?

I have been to CA...but it was when I was 8 and I met hippies and they gave me a headband...lmao. That was the Bay area wasnt it?

 

[gcvmom]

Janet, the Bay area hasn't changed much since you were 8, I'll bet!

 

[Marguerite]

I'm a bit further afield than most of you. I was born in Sydney Australia, the youngest of a large family. We lived on the outskirts of the city on a small farm, the property was about twice the size of a normal suburban block but we had sheep, goats, pigs, cattle occasionally, chickens and grew all our own vegetables. We moved further away as the suburbs got more dense, so we always lived on the edge of the city. We moved to a place that is still on the outer part of Sydney, where I met husband. Then when we started uni we travelled the trains together and got to know each other better. My parents moved right into the country, leaving me living on my own in the city from 17 years old. Sometimes I'd stay with husband's family, sometimes I'd go home to my parents inthe country. By this stage my parents had moved to live by the sea, so I got to know various country seaside resorts as a 'local'.

Because I was the youngest of so many, I had lots of nephews and nieces, some of them lived with us as I was going to school so I got a lot of hands-on experience with kids well before I had my own.

husband & I married and have four kids and from about a year after we married, we have lived in a tiny seaside village on the outskirts of Sydney, but with a country feel. Not many people in Sydney even know about this place, it's so hard to get to. But despite feeling like we live in the country, we're so close to the city that we can watch fireworks in the Harbour, from outside our house. And we're right under the flight path of the airport, which can be very annoying. There are a few secret places like this in Sydney, to the north and to the south. I have a sister who lives in a place like this on the other side of Sydney, but it takes us about five hours to drive from our place to her place.

easy child used to whine about where we live, claiming it as "a hole". A lot of teens living here complain, because there's nothing to do except go for bushwalks, swim, snorkel, sail ... poor darlings, they're so deprived! But when they want nightlife, cinemas, shopping - they have to leave "the island" by boat and travel. And that is not available at night, the boat stops at sunset.

difficult child 3 seems happy where we live. He enjoys it when we drive out to go shopping, but he also often asks to stay home.

And somehow - the other kids are happy to have our village to come home to. easy child moved to husband's & my old town, Campbelltown, to go to uni. And hated it. Too hot in summer, too cold in winter, too far from the sea, too much hooliganism and vandalism on the streets. She was always glad to come home to us. easy child lived with mother in law in Campbelltown, until mother in law moved here near us a few years ago. Now mother in law is happy here, she often just drives her car down to the wharf and sits there, looking at the water and enjoying the view. Because this place is so secret, our beaches are never as crowded as the rest of Sydney. More unspoilt. Of course, the flip side of this is they are unpatrolled, but we've not had a shark attack here in living memory.

My health failed when difficult child 1 was a baby. I'd cut myself at work and had a tetanus shot, but I reacted to it and since then there has been ongoing deterioration to my nervous system and increasing pain and weakness has been developing. It took me a few years to realise what was going on, during which time I was finishing off my uni degree.

husband & I have lived in the city, we've lived in the suburbs and now we happily live in our seaside village.

Marg

 

[muttmeister]

Born, raised, and still live in Nebraska. In spite of the fact that I've traveled a good deal of the world, this seems to be the home base. I grew up in what was called a small town (less than 50 people) but was really a farm with close neighbors. Have lived in Lincoln and Omaha, then to a small town with about 2500 people and now in a town of about 200.
Nebraskans tend to be very independent, look at life with a sense of humor, and whenever you think you know exactly what they'll do, they do the opposite. I guess that describes me pretty well too. Famous people from here include Johnny Carson, Dick Cavett (his stepmother was one of my college professors), Fred Astaire, Marlon Brando, Henry Fonda, Willa Cather, Chief Red Cloud, Malcom X, Gerald Ford (at least he was born here), John J. Pershing, quite a few athletes, the guy who invented the strobe light, and Larry the Cable Guy. Just goes to show, we have all kinds. LOL

 

[Nancy]

Yes Janet I believe we are.

You like run down areas huh? LOL.

Nancy

 

[Fran]

I was born and raised in McKeesport, Pa. A great robust(at the time) steel town outside of Pittsburgh(go Steelers!). I attended the catholic grade school and catholic high school. Very Italian and european/ethnic neighborhood. Left to go to the big city(Pittsburgh) for school and never moved back. Stayed local until I married my gypsy like husband. Since then, lived in Philly for 3 months, Ft.Lauderdale for 3 yrs, Plymouth Minnesota for 1 looooonggggggg cold year, Pittsburgh for 1 yr, S. Miami 6 yrs, Plano Tx. 12yrs, Raleigh NC 18months(so far).
Both boys were born in the same hospital in Pittsburgh. Since mom still lives in the neighborhood I get back home frequently and most of the neighbors know me since I was born. They call me Francie or Franca which cracks husband up.

I have a great deal of appreciation for my little home town but I do not think I will ever live there again.

I'm still not sure where we will end up after retirement. I really love NC and Tennessee. It's a great joy to be able to choose. Probably the winters on the island of Galveston but one never knows.
I lived my whole life in one place then the past 27yrs have been all over the country. I really have come to appreciate the differences and the similarities of people everywhere. There isn't much difference in people between any one part of the country despite some insistance that there is.

 

[mstang67chic]

Born and raised in a rural county in northeast Indiana. Lived "in town" till I was 6 (when my mom married my step-dad) and then moved to the country. Boonies actually. Gravel road and a minimum of 15 miles from any grocery store.

It's pretty sad actually. I've lived in one of three neighboring counties my entire life. LOL

 

[Star*]

I was born in Transylvania outside a gypsy village close to the Carpathian Mountain Range.
I was adopted by wolves, who took me to the border of the Black Forest.
There I was given a red cape, and made my way to Grandmas house.
She had big eyes.
I ate an apple, fell asleep and ended up in Ohio.
When I awoke I was treated like a princess.
Then I met a handsome toad, married and moved to the Everglades and all over the country of Florida.
I escaped. I took my child.
We moved to a small corner of the globe called Hades - 110 in the Summer, Spring, Fall and 3 weeks of winter - (just about)
And now I'm a lonley little Petunia in an Onion Patch -
Actually I'm a cold weather loving Buckeye missplaced by bad fortune trying to get back to Ohio -

 

[Wiped Out]

Green Bay, WI is where I grew up. I lived about five block from the Packer Stadium. Go Pack! I lived there for the first almost 19 years of my life and then two more summers.

At one point I had accepted a teaching job in Killeen, TX but never ended up going because I received a job offer in Wisconsin (about an hour from where I live now).

For the past 22 years I have lived in Madison. I like Madison for the most part, it has a lot to offer. However, husband and I hope to retire to Ann Arbor, MI so we won't have to travel so far to Michigan football games!

 

[Wiped Out]

Star-Oh no not a Buckeye! I'm a major Wolverine fan!