South Carolina

Leaving Florida was dramatic. Everything changed rapidly on the border with Georgia and we have been feeling the Appalachian lifestyle ever since. South Carolina greeted us with Charleston, history of slavery, Victorian houses, and mountains once again. I almost forgot how hard it is to find internet once you reach the mountains.

"Where are you from?" is a question I have started hearing more often recently. That is not a question you will hear in dense, multicultural cities where you just get used to living around people who look or speak differently. But here, in South Carolina, that was a common start to conversations.

The question would not bother me if it was not so difficult to answer. What specifically is the person asking and how much do they care? Are they asking for my mailing address, where I was born, where I have been living lately or where I am staying right now? I could be from Lithuania, but I have not lived there for over/almost a decade. Maybe I am from California judging by my license plate, but I have left almost two years ago. I could also be from Texas, but only because that is where I get my mail and technically where Lukas work is.

I am sure most people do not care, but asking "where are you from" is also not a great conversation starter. If people ask you that because of your accent, color of skin or some other attribute that is out of the ordinary, it certainly does not make you feel welcome.