It’s a question that is often asked when you meet new people…  And the answer for me has never been an easy one.  Mostly because while home is where the heart is I don’t know that I’ve ever had a “home”.  

Here is the background of me…  I grew up in Detroit before moving to Ohio for High School.  I went to college for 3 years in Alabama and finished up my college years at The Ohio State University.  My next 8 years of employment would be I Columbus before moving to Seattle and now I rest my noggin in Pittsburgh.  

Most people would say my home is in Ohio.  I lived there the longest, I love the Buckeyes, the Crew, Thurman burgers and Homage.  I will always be a Buckeye.  

The truth is though through high school when people asked me where I was from…  I was from Detroit and my family was from Detroit.  It wasn’t until I was in Jacksonville, AL for college that I truly considered Ohio home.  So for a little over a decade I considered Ohio home.  

Then I moved to Seattle a town that for the two years I lived there I was very proud to call home despite the fact that I would never admit to being a Seattlite.   If anyone there asked me where I was from I would say Ohio with a sense of pride hoping to meet other Ohioans.  

After 2 years work took us back across the country to Pittsburgh, PA.  Now that question is so much more complicated.  Where are you from?  I just came from Seattle which I fondly called home…  I love Seahawks, Sounders, Top Pot and Amazon Fresh.  But I spent barely a fraction of my life there.  However, I have been “home” to Detroit more times than I have been to Ohio in the past 2 years.  

When we are traveling and people ask me where I am from I say Pittsbugh or PA.  It feels a little off to me as we’re working on making this home still.  I’m not ready to put fries on my salad, grow out an epic mustache or speak in Yinz yet but I am considering buying a Pirates hat.  So I must be close to calling this home as they say, always root for the home team.

So while home will remain where the heart is… my heart remains touched by all the places I have been and all the people I have met.  So to that end, I guess I’ll see you when I get home.