What People Are Really Asking When They Ask “Where Are You From?” (And How to Answer)
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People are always asking other people where they are from, but what are they really asking? Here are some ways to answer that horrid question: “Where are you from?”
What they’re really asking: Where are you originally from?
How to answer: From a sperm cell and an egg cell combining and then approximately 9 months later I gut pushed out of a uterus, how about you?
What they’re really asking: Where were you born?
How to answer: Well, I was born on Earth when it was in that sweet spot when the sun was in Taurus, the moon was in Sagittarius, and Pluto in Scorpio.
What they’re really asking: No, where on earth were you born?
How to answer: Give them the exact GPS coordinates of the hospital you were born in.
What they’re really asking: Where is your family originally from? [especially if the former question’s answer is somewhere in the US]
How to answer: Here are my 23-and-me results. As you can see, I am 36.6% British, 25.7% French, 12.4% Eastern European, 21.6% “Broadly Northwestern European”, 3.3% German, and 0.4% Japanese. So, I guess you can call me Ms. WorldWide!
What they’re really asking: Where did you grow up?
How to answer: In the beautiful countryside with endless meadows and green rolling hills that is the Shire. Or at least that’s where I grew up in my mind.
What they’re really asking: Yah, but like you’re not from here?
How to answer: From this exact location we are right now? No, I’m not, are you?
What they’re really asking: But, your English is so good!
How to answer: Oh, I speak a language that basically the whole world speaks because of massive exposure to American and British TV, movies, and music? How surprising!
What they’re never asking: Where do you feel at home?
Because they don’t really care.
Conclusion: The best answer to “Where are you from?” is to take out your 23-and-me test, your full address history, and don’t forget to show that English proficiency test. You better cover it all!
