The Town of Odyssey

OK, so anyone whose known me for an extended period of time, knows I was born and raised in Arkansas. I lived there for about 20 years before making the move to Illinois. I was thinking about Ar the other day and it got me wondering. Have you always lived where you do now? Not so much the house, because I'm sure that has changed. Though, if you want to talk about that you can. I'm thinking more town/state moves. Do you miss your hometown and things about it?

Don't post states unless you are 100% comfortable with it. If you are a minor, I reccommend running it by your parents since this is a public board.

I stayed in two neighboring cities for college in past semesters, though I'm doing school online from home for now. I grew up a few miles outside a really small town of around 200-300 people(I don't care what they say, Odyssey isnot a small town). One small thing I really missed when I was in the city was that people on our dirt road at home often give you a friendly wave as you drive by on the other side. It's just a little thing, but it can mean a lot if you're in a depressed mood.

I was in a bad part of town (most of our cities in the Inland Northwest are fairly small though) one semester and it was kinda scary. At home, if you hear gunshots in the middle of the night, most likely it's just a poacher trying to shoot our deer, but when you hear gunshots in the middle of the night in the city, someone is way more likely to be seriously injured or killed. My landlord there kept calling me a serious country bumpkin. Ironically, he was in the process of moving to out to our area at the time. I bumped into him the other day when I was dropping off my car at the mechanic.

The other place I stayed for a semester was a super nice little place in the suburbs about five houses away from where my cousin lives. Hearing the train at night there took some getting used to, but other than a longer commute than the last place to the college I'm attending, it was a great place overall. It was super nice being close to a grocery store. An antiques store there actually sold Scrooge McDuck comics and that was awesome too.

When I would hear certain songs playing it would make me homesick. My car's a 77 Olds Cutlass(can't drive it now of course with fuel prices being twice what they were ) and certain songs on my 8-tracks made me super homesick. Especially the chorus of this one: I grew up on a 25 acre "farm" with nine horses, so yeah that one made me cry. Growing up, my family spent every August on my grandpa's wheat farm(a literal farm, unlike home where we don't actually grow crops) so that song makes me think of Grandpa's too.

Born and raised in the beautiful state of Virginia...lived in 5 towns around the state. Moved down to Georgia when I got married at age 29. It's been interesting getting used to the weather here....so hot and humid. I do miss the scenery and temperatures in VA, but it's not too bad here in GA. Definitely am glad I'm a little farther out from Atlanta since when I first moved here. The traffic is awful, and I hate having to drive on 75 and 285. The drivers are craaaaazy.

Laura Ingalls wrote: ↑Sat Mar 12, 2022 8:05 pm Born and raised in the beautiful state of Virginia...lived in 5 towns around the state. Moved down to Georgia when I got married at age 29. It's been interesting getting used to the weather here....so hot and humid. I do miss the scenery and temperatures in VA, but it's not too bad here in GA. Definitely am glad I'm a little farther out from Atlanta since when I first moved here. The traffic is awful, and I hate having to drive on 75 and 285. The drivers are craaaaazy.

Atlantaaaaaaa! Forever I love Atlanta. It’s my favorite city in the world. I live a bit northeast of the city proper but work in midtown. So I’m taking 285/400 and 85 everyday that I’m not WFH. 285 is terrible. The worst drivers take 285 for sure. I don’t think the traffic is TOO bad, but I try to leave the house at about 5 AM to skip a bunch of it.

I grew up in south GA, which is very different from northeast Georgia, it’s really hot and really flat down there… not to mention it seems that on average people are lot closer to poverty than they are in the northern part of the state. I definitely do not plan on ever moving back, I’m actively trying to get my parents and friends from back home to move up here.

As far as other places I lived, I stayed in Portland, Oregon for a summer once… and absolutely hated it. Maybe it was where I was staying or what I was doing at the time, but the whole vibe of the city was off to me. Didn’t have the same feel as the ATL at all.

I've been to Atlanta once, and it snowed. I wouldn't recommend that. The whole city shut down over what was a dusting to this Minnesotan while I laughed at the airport waiting for my flight to get cancelled.

To answer the original question, I've lived in two states, three zip codes, and at five addresses in my entire life. Haven't moved much.

EK, any specific reason Portland seemed off? My parents spent a day there on a road trip and also didn't like it, also saying it felt off. And it usually takes a lot to disappoint them while traveling.

so i was born in the caribbean, a small island called bonaire, and then i lived in the States for a bit: upstate NY in a tiny tiny village in the Adirondacks, a small town in North Carolina close to Durham, and then in St. Petersburg, FL. then i spent most of my childhood in Ghana but we'd go back to the US and bonaire every three years. i then ended up now in amsterdam where i've been for over 6 years, although i also lived for half a year in madrid. so a lot of places.

for now, i feel like staying in the netherlands, although the weather isn't the best. i did like upstate NY, but mostly for the nature, and not to live there. if i were to go back to the States, it would have to be a big city--after having lived in Europe and traveled extensively around it, i don't feel like i jive with small town america beyond a 'road trip mentality,' if that makes any sense. but i am going back for the first time in years next month to DC, so that'll be pretty fun

born in small town north iowa, then moved to the suburbs of st. paul, mn for college. from there, i lived in nashville, tn for a few months, then moved back to north iowa. now i'm in a larger town in eastern iowa for work. i don't love iowa, but my current city has some cool features. i love st. paul/minneapolis and plan to move back there as soon as possible.

I just checked this thread to see if @Marvin D. had posted his answer.

Some day I hope to be a fraction as cool as Marvin.

Steve wrote: ↑Tue Mar 15, 2022 10:07 am born in small town north iowa, then moved to the suburbs of st. paul, mn for college. from there, i lived in nashville, tn for a few months, then moved back to north iowa. now i'm in a larger town in eastern iowa for work. i don't love iowa, but my current city has some cool features. i love st. paul/minneapolis and plan to move back there as soon as possible.

Mind if I ask where in the St Paul area you lived? I live in a suburb on the Minneapolis side and work in the city.

I've always lived in the same city in Northwest Ohio, mostly. Lived with a friend a couple small towns away for like 6 months, but my city was still the main hub where I worked and shopped etc.

Jonathan wrote: ↑Tue Mar 15, 2022 9:28 pm

Steve wrote: ↑Tue Mar 15, 2022 10:07 am born in small town north iowa, then moved to the suburbs of st. paul, mn for college. from there, i lived in nashville, tn for a few months, then moved back to north iowa. now i'm in a larger town in eastern iowa for work. i don't love iowa, but my current city has some cool features. i love st. paul/minneapolis and plan to move back there as soon as possible.

Mind if I ask where in the St Paul area you lived? I live in a suburb on the Minneapolis side and work in the city.

Roseville! I went to Northwestern.

Steve wrote: ↑Wed Mar 16, 2022 11:55 am

Jonathan wrote: ↑Tue Mar 15, 2022 9:28 pm

Steve wrote: ↑Tue Mar 15, 2022 10:07 am born in small town north iowa, then moved to the suburbs of st. paul, mn for college. from there, i lived in nashville, tn for a few months, then moved back to north iowa. now i'm in a larger town in eastern iowa for work. i don't love iowa, but my current city has some cool features. i love st. paul/minneapolis and plan to move back there as soon as possible.

Mind if I ask where in the St Paul area you lived? I live in a suburb on the Minneapolis side and work in the city.

Roseville! I went to Northwestern.

Nice, one of the best suburbs for food

Jonathan wrote: ↑Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:33 pm

Steve wrote: ↑Wed Mar 16, 2022 11:55 am

Jonathan wrote: ↑Tue Mar 15, 2022 9:28 pm

Steve wrote: ↑Tue Mar 15, 2022 10:07 am born in small town north iowa, then moved to the suburbs of st. paul, mn for college. from there, i lived in nashville, tn for a few months, then moved back to north iowa. now i'm in a larger town in eastern iowa for work. i don't love iowa, but my current city has some cool features. i love st. paul/minneapolis and plan to move back there as soon as possible.

Mind if I ask where in the St Paul area you lived? I live in a suburb on the Minneapolis side and work in the city.

Roseville! I went to Northwestern.

Nice, one of the best suburbs for food

For real. I miss China Restaurant in Ichiddo Ramen on the regluar.