Got to thinking about this when I posted in "Random Thoughts" that I miss England. London is my second favorite city on earth, but my favorite is my home, Austin, Texas. My state is home to Bush, Perry, tornadoes, racist megachurches, the death penalty, oil money... But despite everything I'm proud to be a Texan. It's where I'm from and it's an intrinsic part of me.

My boyfriend finds this pride baffling, but most of my other friends take it for granted. We're tough, individualistic and don't take sh*t from anybody. There are people like that everywhere, but we feel that our particular flavor is uniquely Texan.

So what do you think of where you are? Is it part of you or just a place where you're stuck?

I posted this under politics and world events because I'm more aware than ever of sense of place. In the lead-up to the American presidential elections a big deal is made over the temperment of each state. Also, throughout the world people are standing up and saying things like, "I am Libyan and proud of it, even if I hate everything my country and its leaders have come to stand for."

I lived in my city all my life. It's home. Couldn't see myself living anywhere else.
Michael is more open to moving. He moved from England to Canada. And never stayed in the same house for more than 7-8 years. I've been in this house my entire life. Most of the neighbours have known me since I was a kid. So it would be weird for me.
I don't travel much. Or at all for that matter.
I went to Portugal to visit my mom's family and to Toronto which is an hour away.
Couldn't picture myself living in either of those places.
But like Nsane said, I haven't travelled enough. There may be a place out there that I would be willing to move too.

I think the above image says it all. Not really.

But seriously, I love New York - not just the city, but the entire state. I was raised and still live in the Bronx. I really do like it here.

I've visited other cities, other states, and Canada. Haven't left the continent yet, though I'll be visiting Iceland in September. I can adapt easily, so if push comes to shove and I had to leave NYC I wouldn't have a problem living anywhere else...except Cleveland. I will never ever live in Cleveland. Or Brooklyn. It's bad enough I have to work n Brooklyn.

The problem with NYC is that it's becoming increasingly difficult to live here if you're working or middle class. Some say you have to be either really rich or really poor to live here, and I am beginning to believe that. Housing is expensive and commuting is expensive (doesn't matter if you drive or use mass transit). Everything is expensive!

You know what else I don't like about NYC? The homogeneity of the people here. I know it sounds crazy, especially since this is supposed to be one of the most diverse places in the world. But there is this lack of individuality among the people. Where are the rugged individualists? It's hard to explain. I ALWAYS feel out of place where ever I go.

Also, the people here tend to be very self-absorbed and into themselves. Selfish. Egotistic. Not everyone, but almost everyone I know. And everyone's always busy...with themselves. Like my friend K who wanted to move the group's dinner plans two hours later so that she can go shopping. Yes, let's all be inconvenienced so that you can go shopping.

You know what else pisses me off about NYC? Even though this is the fashion capital of the world, most of the people here are terrible dressers. Really. The things my eyes have seen! There's no excuse for it. Good looking clothes are available at all price levels here in NYC. Do you know how many fashionable discount clothing stores we have in NYC? A ton! WTF?!

I love where I'm from and I wold never want to change that. Yes I'm a home body, but I've done a small amount of traveling on the east coast, the carribean and mexico. I've never been to New York though.

I know michigan sucks when it comes to the economy, but right now is the perfect time to get a home because they are so darn cheap. What most of you pay $400,000+ for home wise, we pay closer to $120,000. A home identical to my friends with less achers sold in Georgia for $769,000. Alyssa's mom paid $150,000 in a forclosuer.

I prefer the metro detroit area. It has always been my home area and there is more to do. Metro detroit has so many different cities, cultures, and ways of life you can really be what ever you want in a close range to another culture or ethnicity. I can't stand that there are a lot of dumb politicians lying and making bad choices constantly.

But in the long run I love our dirty streets and stupid people thinking we have so much crime I must have been shot because I grew up there. It's my home and I'm proud of the history. I'm proud of where my family and I have come. I don't ever want to leave unless it is for vacation. I know I might have to for work, but I'll pass that bridge if I have to.

I don't know if I love it or loath it, I've been to through and visited 13 states and some of Canada in my life and although I could see my self living in a few of those places none of them have the same flavor as New York. Love it or hate it New Yorks my home I'm here and its looking like I always will be so thats how that works...

I don't know why I'm surprised to see so many other people like where they're from- even while acknowledging the place's faults. Makes me feel a little less crazy for loving Texas.

DCGG- what, you haven't been shot at?! Haha, on a related subject all of Texas is a cactus filled desert and we ride horses to school.

(half a mile from my parent's house)

^^LOL It's ok. I'm from Iowa & people assume that all we have here are cornfields & that we all ride tractors to school Also, that area from your picture is really pretty!

I've always lived in Iowa & I am glad to be from here, even if sometimes I get biffed because things around here & some of the mentality is a$$-backwards, but I do understand that there are way worse areas for that. Iowa has a seemingly secure economy & can still provide jobs. Housing is very inexpensive & our groceries & gas are relatively low (at least for now). We have lots of nature to explore & the people are friendly. I am not sure what state I would move to if that became the option, but I wouldn't mind moving to a larger city in Iowa, like Des Moines. I loved Washington when I visited Seattle, but I know it's very expensive. Colorado is also a very gorgeous. Not sure, but I am pretty well invested in this place for the time being & probably the next few years to come.

Interesting that this has come up: I was listening to a George Carlin routine a couple nights ago, and he was talking about the "Proud to be an American" fervor. He essentially said "pride" should be reserved for something you have accomplished, and that it's more descriptive to say you're "happy" to be an American, or Irish, or what have you. It's a good point in that "happy" doesn't imply an adversarial or egocentric viewpoint. Still, that's all semantics, just food for thought.

Putting semantics aside: I think it's essential to take some pride in your background. To not be proud of your region is to reject part of yourself. We are, to varying degrees, products of our environments. Our ways of life may be retaliatory responses to conservative customs, or we might have an appreciation for nature or history that's unique to our area/demographic. In my case, I can appreciate the best that NC has to offer, but home will always be home: nothing will compare to the Autumns, Colonial architecture, Italian food, and seemingly-icy-but-then-we-adopt-you demeanor that define Connecticut.

I like to think that each of us represents the best of our particular neck of the woods. We're not so wrapped up in any ideology as to not consider another's point of view, and we're eager to learn, but we each have some background and experience to bring to the table.

I f*cking love New Jersey, it's conditioned all of us here to be able to live anywhere in the rest of the United States easy. A 2 hour car ride in New Jersey can take someone from the ghetto, through a suburb, across acres of farmland or swamps, to arrive at a casino resort, a beach, mountains, nuclear power plant, amusement park or arts center. Plus we have two little towns to our north and south; new york and philly, so it's a short trip to major metropolitan areas.

I've been all over, but I still find my way back here, and I'm cool with that. We New Jersey natives have to unite to show the world that those orange skinned douchebags from those reality shows do not accurately represent us.

^^ Location is a great thing about living in CT, too: driving distance to NYC and Boston. In fact, on most days I was able to pick up radio station signals out of Mass too.