Sunday, September 26, 2010

TSA Agents make my day.

I leave for tour in ten days.. I can't believe how soon that is. Sometimes it still feels like I just got HOME from tour. I think it's going to be amazing though, since so many of the people I'll be spending those two and a half weeks with are some of my best friends.

Speaking of best friends, I just got back from LA last night. Luke and I worked on our acoustic album a fair amount but mostly spent the week building our Magic the Gathering decks with Jason and playing each other over and over. And going to Disneyland. And eating pizza.

It always feels weird coming come from a trip to LA. It takes me a day or two to readjust to being in Seattle, because I have so many friends down in California, so many really great friends, that it doesn't really feel like a vacation. It just feels like hanging out with friends, which in turn makes it feel lonely and distant up here without them at home.

But then I remember how much I love my city and my bedroom and all the friends I have here and things start to go back to normal. It's kind of like being pulled in two very persistent directions constantly... but now that I've graduated and have free time to spend in the ways I choose... I dunno, I think things are going to be good for me. I'm excited about the upcoming year.


So yesterday when I was leaving California, I was waiting in line at security and this TSA agent kept looking at me with this goofy grin on his face. I went about my business as normal; taking off my shoes, removing my laptop and putting it in its own screening tub, walking through the metal detector... then as I was gathering my stuff to leave, he runs up to me. "Were you in a music video about World of Warcraft?" he asks me sheepishly.

I burst out laughing. "Yes, I was!"

We chatted for a few moments as I put my jacket and shoes back on and then he had to go back to screening people, but how funny is that. Of all the places for a complete stranger to look up and think "Hey, is that the girl in the blood elf costume from that video I saw once online?"

Anyway, I got home and waiting here for me in my YouTube inbox was this message:

"Hey hope you dont mind me writing to you, this is the TSA officer who recognized you at LAX, just wanted to say hello and hope your tour goes well."

Some days I feel like my life just never stops being fun. And to prove that point, I am now going to play video games for awhile before calling insurance companies, all while waiting for Luke to send me tracks from the acoustic album that need my vocal takes. Overall, not a bad day. Except the whole part where I'm out of college so I have to start paying my own car insurance. Bleh.

Question for today's comments: I've been thinking off an on about the concept of "feeling at home" or being "from" a place. I was talking to Alex and Jason about this yesterday... like I can say I'm from Seattle because I grew up here, but I can also say I am from North Dakota because I was born there.
But also, you could live in a place for years and never really identify with it. Do you think you can truly be "from" more than one place? Do you have multiple places that feel like your home?

Last google search: "lunk errant"
Chipotle burritos: 20

38 comments:

elfarmy17 said...

My mom was born in Texas, but she grew up in Western New York and always says she's from there.
I've lived here in NC my entire life, yet sometimes I say I'm from WNY because I don't have much culture in common with the people down here. A friend of mine's dad is from England so he has half a British accent so people ask him where he's from and he says "Kansas City."
I think it's like those little nick knacks that say "Home is where your mom is" and stuff. It's the people that are your home.
That thing with the TSA guy is awesome. I'd love to be recognized like that, except the only music video I've been in is the Chart Jackers one, and there were hundreds of people each with their own 1-second slot.

Leslie Rowen said...

I was born in Wisconsin, but Kentucky feels like home. You should come by sometime :D

Speaking of, do you have any information on your stop in Cincinnati? My friends and I are dying to see you!

Amy said...

You can be from all over! I was born in Utah, raised in the Seattle area, lived in Idaho for almost 7 years and now live in Iowa and I clam all of them. Home is where ever you say it is. You can live in a place for a long time and never really feel like it's home or just move somewhere and have it feel like it was home all along. :)

Britty said...

Oh definitely you can "be" from more than on place. I was born and raised the first few years of my life in Southern California. Actually not too far from where you were visiting. But I've lived longer in Utah than I have in California.

I will consider California my "home town" and myself a Californian till the day I die because there are things about California that define me.

On the other hand, I can't deny while I don't always love living here, there are things about Utah that make me who I am. 95% of my friends are here, my whole family lives here, I have a job here that I love, I'm going to school and will graduate here.

So while I've lived here longer, I'm a Californian at heart.

Kylie said...

Really, I just feel at home where I feel accepted and among people I care about :)

Anna said...

I don't know. I run into this problem a lot, because I was born in the former USSR, I spent most of my "childhood" years (4-11) in New York City, and basically from 11-now I've lived in Georgia (13 years now in a couple months). I still don't really feel like a Georgian though, and when people ask me where I'm from, I have to stop and think about them, and ask them what they mean by the question.

It's so much easier for people who have lived in the same place their entire lives (which you come across very frequently in Georgia, so...).

Me said...

I was born in London and now study in the same area I was born in, but between those times I grew up in Mid Sussex and my immediate family still lives there so I say that's where I'm from.

Keira said...

I feel settled anywhere after like three days. Anywhere and everywhere feels like home after that, even if I'm alone and unhappy. I guess I'm the type that gets to know people by proximity and places by the amount of time I spent there.

Also, every time I read your blog I get insanely jealous. Your life is just so awesome! It's so not normal and so spontaneous and full of people and travel and your work seems like it consists of everything you love.

I guess I'm an outsider so I'll never really know, but to me you sometimes seem even too good to be a good character--most characters have some huge flaw in their lives.

Alissa said...

I have lived on the same street for my entire life (excluding the first year or so when my parents lived down town). Which coincidentally, is the same street that my dad grew up on...

My mom or the other hand moved around alot, and I mean ALOT as a kid. (Washington D.C., California, Arizona, Colorado, Kentucky, Arkansas, Guam, Japan, Pennsylvania, to name a few of her 'homes' not counting duplicate cities...)

So for me my home has been that one street in Canada for longer than I can remeber, and the same goes for my dad, but my mom didn't find her 'home' until she married my dad. She isn't even Canadian, but Canada is more her home than anywhere else she's ever lived... So to answer your question, I think the idea of home is subjective, it's not necessarily the place stamped on your passport, but the place stamped on (not to sound cheesy but...) your heart.

Home is wherever you make it.

Anonymous said...

My sister and I are constantly talking about where we are "from"
You see we were born in CA but since then have lived in 21 different places including HI, NH, VT, MT, AR, WA, and OR (btw I'm only 18).
We both really hate CA so we don't associate it as our home. We consider NH or New England our home because it is where we spent most of our formative and favorite years (grades 1-5 and 8-10). In general when someone asks me where I'm from I just say America and then go on to explain how I've lived all over.
I definitely believe you can be from more than one place; you can even be from 21 places. The place you are from really shapes the person that you become, so if you are shaped by multiple places than it only makes sense that you are from multiple places.

Stefan said...

I went through the same kind of thing when I got out of college. I lived in boston but I knew I was not going to stay so it never felt like home.. most of my friends from there have moved back to their home state. but it's still a nice place to visit even if I only lived there for 2 years.

Michael said...

I think "from" is mostly about comfort and/or familiarity with a place. So I think it is definitely possible to have multiple places to consider yourself as being "from". I also think you can live some place for a long time and never really be at home there. Lots of people go away for college or their jobs for extended periods of time, but it never really becomes the place they are "from".

I was born in Columbus, Ohio and have spent all my 21 years here(for the most part,) so it's the only place I really feel like home.

Emily said...

So what are you going to be for Halloween? I want to know!

Laura said...

I sort of relate to your situation between Seattle and LA, though mine is between D.C. and Austin.
I was born and raised in Maryland, but after moving to Virginia(DC) when I was 13 I stopped associating with Maryland anymore- I didn't have any ties there except for my family. Now I always consider myself being from DC even though I've lived there for less than half the time I lived in Maryland.
However I also consider myself a Texan/Austinite, even though I've only lived here for a year due to school. I've officially moved to Austin, and I feel like I belong here, but when I go home to DC I have that same period of adjustment until everything is back to normal.

I think it's better to feel at home in more places than to associate with just one place as home- that way no matter where you are you are home in some way or another. It's good to have that comfort.

seanababy16 said...

I definitely think you can be "from" more than one place. I was born and raised just outside of Toronto, but now I go to school in Newfoundland and spend way more time there than I do in Ontario. So, although I can say I'm from Toronto, now I'm kind of also from Newfoundland, as this is where my entire life is now.

Marie said...

I was born and spent most of my life in Pennsylvania but I've lived in Vermont for a few years. I've moved many times though, so it feels like a small part of me is in each place, but where I am at the current time is always the place I refer to as home. I'm very proud of being "from" Pennsylvania, but Vermont isn't so bad. Right now the only physical place I feel I can consider "home" is my dorm room. I don't have my own house to back to to during breaks, and I can't go back to Pennsylvania whenever I want. I have to crash with my friends, wherever they may be, so "home" right now is with my mother and my friends, wherever they are.

You can definitely be "from" more than one place as well as consider more than one place "home". It's great having pride in the places you have spent a lot of time and in the places you do spend a lot of time. Wherever you feel a deep connection to is home, at least in my opinion.

Ravenclaw2313 said...

I was born in Nor Cal but I lived a large part of my life in Iowa. Still I've always felt more at home in the Redwoods or on the beach then I ever did in the corn fields. At my heart I'm a Nor Cal girl and my grandparent's house in California is as much my home as the place in Iowa where my parents live.

I think that a person can easily be from two places and that you can certainly have more than one home. Home is a place where you feel comfortable and you can be 100% yourself. You don't have to worry about anything because the people there won't judge you and you know you're loved when you're there. I think it has less to do with how much of your stuff you keep there and more to do how much you feel like yourself when you're there.

Can't wait to see you on tour!

aadams said...

people are talking about not knowing what state they belong to, but what about country? I've lived overseas for exactly half of my life, so i dont even feel that connected to the country on my passport. And both my parents are from the same country! those who have parents from two different countries have it the worse.

Azucena Paloma Garza Garza said...

I've lived in my city since I was born, but I don't truly consider it as my "home". I think it's my family and friends who are "home" to me. If i were asked to go live in another country, i'd gladly accept.

I do have a soft spot for my house, because, well... memories, you know.

I think it's awesome you got recognized! I bet you made the guy's day, haha.

Unknown said...

YAYYY TOUR! I wish you guys were coming back to North Carolina, though :(
That is a Random Happy Thing; it's awesome! :D
So excited about hearing the acoustic album. I'm sure it'll be fantastic as always.
I know exactly what you mean about feeling like you're being pulled in two different directions at once. Half of my soul resides in France, and I constantly miss it there. That was my dream and my home for so long, and people that I love dearly live there still. At the same time, here in the States is home. With the friends I've had for years, with my family. Everything is so familiar, but I missed it here when I was there, too. =/
I could say I'm from Florida (born there, lived there for 10 years... NEVER again), or North Carolina (lived here for 8 years, and my life is here)... or even France, considering that part of me will always be "French". :)
-Aly

Sarah Jo said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sarah Jo said...

I can't answer the question as I was born and have lived my life all in the same close area. XD

But - I wanted to say I saw Luke's tweet today about a Hunger Games song and as I don't use Twitter except for keeping up with geek news.. I wanted to tell you I'm SO excited for it !!! :)

Sarah said...

Wow, that story is hilarious. That TSA guy sounds pretty awesome!

As for your question, I was born in Chicago but movedto Las Vegas when I was two and have lived here since then (so 17 years.) I generally say I'm from Vegas unless someone mentions Chicago and I say I was born there. Sometimes I feel wrong saying that because then they ask questions about where in Chicago and I have to say "well I only was there til I was two.." but my parents were both born and raised there so I feel kinda of guilty if I just pretend like I was born and raised in Vegas. It's a strange subject, though...

Camille said...

Hi! I want to leave a comment but I totally forgot what the question was and I don't care enough to go back and look.
Kristina, I just wanted to say that you're awesome and I love this blog. It makes me smile. Like a lot. Haha.
I'll answer the question next time! I promise. :)
Hm well from the looks of things you asked about where we're from. That's easy enough to answer. :P
I was born in Texas. But I grew up in a few different places. But I consider Texas to be my real roots. I feel like I'm doing my real growing up right here in Texas, right now. In my case, I'm from Texas, and that's it.

Lee Caroline said...

You can definitely be "from" more than one place. I moved to Louisville, KY for a year and even though I'm back in my "hometown" now (the town I grew up in), going to Louisville still feels like going home.

Madeleine said...

That TSA guy sounds awesome!

I definitely feel like I'm from more than one place. I was born in a place where I've never lived, and lived in 6 states in my life. In two of them, I felt completely at home, so I still claim both of them. But I don't feel at home at all in my current state (AL), so even though I graduated high school from here, I claim NY, since it's the one I spent most of my high school years in. I guess wherever your true friends lie, wherever they are, that's where your home is. =]

Jessamyn said...

Creepy, I wrote a whole blog post about this myself last week. I've never lived anywhere for more than three years, so it's all a bit of a blur, especially considering I have friends in even more places than where I've lived.

I think if anyone asks, I'm gonna say Nerdfighteria.

Foxy Roxy said...

I think like you said, we can feel at home in multiple places, so I think you can definitely be from more than one place. You identify with more than one place, and that's fair.

Unrelated: Will this tour bring you to states you've never been before? If so, which ones?

Nyckeija R said...

When I think of "home" I think of my town, then the region that live in, and all the places I've had the best moments in. Because I have (mostly) lived in one town my whole life, most of my memories are here, and I feel like in the future when people ask me where I'm from, this is the place that I will name. This will always be my home town. But I think I can make any place my home.

hermyslilsis said...

I was born in Missouri, grew up in Minnesota, moved to North Carolina when I was 9, then left to go to college in Pennsylvania, where I currently reside.

My current college is the 9th school I've attended in my 14 years of education.

I always give the long answer when someone asks me where I'm from, but I adore the sense of hometown I pride I feel for ALL these places. I still love my St. Louis barbecue and Ted Drews, feel a warm fuzzy feeling thinking of Turtle Lake and the Mall of America, cheer for UNC and am growing to appreciate everything that makes Philadelphia Phily. It's worth the long answers.

:)

Arden said...

I was born and raised in a small town in Northern California, and while it always felt like home to me, I never really felt like I completely "belonged" there. Since moving to a slightly larger town in Southern California, I don't quite feel like this is "home" yet, but I feel a lot more like I belong here. I don't know if that makes any sense, but it is sort of like being from two different places.

Cristen said...

I was born in Alabama and lived there until we moved when i was six. So technically i could be from Alabama. However, i moved to a college in Ithaca, New York about a month ago. And everyone here knows that I'm from Tennessee. That's the little fact that helps them remember who i am. So in the past month I've felt like more of a southerner than ever before. I didn't really appreciate my southern roots until i got to Cornell and realized that people think it's sort of a big deal.

Rachel said...

This is a very interesting topic. I feel very close to Southern California because I've lived in the LA area my entire life. However, I feel incredibly close to Israel, even though I've never been there, because of my heritage.

Julia said...

I think you can definitely have more than one place feels like home. It's something that has played a big role in my life. I was born in Cleveland and grew up there, but I moved to Arizona when I was 12. I stayed there for 9 years, and now I've been in Seattle for the last year. Each place has been the setting for very distinct parts of my life, childhood to teenage and college years to adult life. I feel a strong connection to Cleveland because my extended family still lives there and to Arizona because all of my friends are there, but Seattle is technically my home now.

I think it's a very difficult way to live, because you may always feel like you're missing a part of you, or that you're missing out on all the cool things that are happening in one of your other "homes". But it's important to value everything in your life and live in the present, which it seems like you usually have that balance down pretty well. You're really lucky to have so much going for you! And I can't wait to hear the new album!

Maggie said...

My family's moved all over the place, but when people ask where I'm from I always answer, "Madison, WI" because that's where I went to college, where I really became "myself" and where I was happiest.

You could always answer, "Hogwarts."a

Alex Dahlberry said...

Ah, it's so awesome that that TSA guy recognised you. :D
And I'm not sure. I feel like I'm completely from Montreal, cause this is where I was born, and I've lived here so long, and I love it. Yet, I also lived in Chicago for five years, but I don't think I ever identified it as my home.
At the same time, every time I visit Finland, i feel a kind of connection to it, as if it were 'home' as well.

Interesting question. Hmmm.

appletrain said...

aha, this question is something i've been struggling with for a while! i was born in california but started school and made my first friends, lived my childhood etc in kuwait. then i moved back to california and it didn't feel right. now i've moved to england for school and i miss california and think of it as home. but at the same time, kuwait is my home because it's where my happy childhood memories are (and still some family). and england is now my home. and my family's moved to abu dhabi so that's where my family and my new "homebase" is. and above all this! i'm palestinian, and if you know a bit of history, palestinians are a people who have encompassed the concept of having a displaced home for the last 62 years. it's a complicated question when people ask where i'm from XD

Louie said...

I live in Seattle now too (yay for seattleites! magtowns the best XD) but i'm a military brat so i've moved... 10 times so far in 14 years? i never know what to say when people ask me where I'm from!