How did you end up here(where you live)

Grew up in smalltown Indiana
Moved to Monmouth, IL at 18 for college
Moved to Lincoln, IL at 19 for different college
Moved back to same smalltown at 20 to figure some shit out
Moved to Chicago for culinary school at 21
Moved to Santa Rosa, CA in August for job
Moving to Healdsburg, CA in two weeks for same job.

Born in Albany, NY Childhood in Suffolk County, Long Island Moved to suburban Albany, age 11 or so Now in Columbus, OH for college

Born in Beth Israel Hospital NYC ( a long time ago )

1-10 years old, raised on Clinton St, NYC LES ( decidedly before it was trendy )

10-12 years old, moved to LA with parents ( wish we had stayed but I wasn't the decider )

13-17 years old, moved back East to Brooklyn, Sheepshead Bay, and Brighton Beach. Graduated Lincoln HS on Ocean Parkway.

18-22 went to Rice U. in Houston Texas.

23-27 moved back to NYC and worked as a gopher in a Law Firm on E 68th St. Lived in Manhattan.

28- Till Now -moved back to Houston and have stayed here. Many places and jobs and different business ventures. Currently live in a gentrified yuppie district called lower Washington near Memorial Park.

That's the story of my life ( with a lot left out ).

I was born in Greenwich, raised in Weston, CT. Went to university in Pittsburgh (Carnegie Mellon). Studied Civil Engineering and wanted to do something international. Started job hunting in 06, with Saudi as this pipe dream of a place, simply because it seemed so outlandish and different. Dubai had caught my interest, but to me it seemed like I wouldn't be getting the true middle east experience. My parents were trying to work out a move to Switzerland as they wanted to sell the house by early 07 no matter what. I wanted to work in something that would get me time in the field as well as an office. Oil wasn't an obvious choice, but the opportunity came up to interview with a service company in December 06 and I took it for practice. They asked where I could work if I could choose anywhere, and I said Saudi Arabia. They offered me Louisiana, and I said I'd decline, but if they got me anywhere international I'd take it. A day later I got a call that they found a spot in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia and the rest is history. My parents ended up moving to Switzerland 5 days after I left the US. My father worked for Nestle Waters (Greenwich, CT) and Nestle's global HQ is in Switzerland, so now he's at the HQ and they love it. The Chicago part of my location is because my girlfriend lives there, so that's primarily where I spend time when I'm in the US. I've only been there 8 days in the last 14 months now though, 5 in Chicago and 3 in Dallas.

I was born a poor black child.

Born in Macedonia (it was part of Yugoslavia back when I was born). My parents moved to the United States when I was 5 and brought me with them - specifically to New Jersey. Have been living here and representing ever since. Have never lived for any extended period of time anywhere outside of NJ (though I have moved a few times within the state).

dad is from croatia. mom is from bklyn. dad took off, lived with mom and grandparents til 20. moved in with wife, then got co-op in queens. decided to buy a house. looked in cranford, nj and nutley before being masochists and deciding to buy on long island to be closer to family.

lived in 13 homes by the time I was 14. between 14 and 37 lived in 4 countries and many, many places. moved to NY 6 years ago, 3 years ago got offered a job in Chicago and moved here.

I hold three passports, have lived in four different countries for extended time and travelled the globe for work and pleasure.

Born in Birmingham, England.
Moved to Kuwait at 2 weeks old.
Went to University in London at 16 years old, worked there for a few years.
Moved to Berlin to work. Met an American woman, got married (in Gothenburg, Sweden) 2 years later.
Moved to Oakland, California.
Plotting further transitions.

Can I ask what line of work you and your parents were in? Your screenname caught my eye when I joined the site, and I've been curious since.

How do you find Chicago after living outside the US for so long? My girlfriend has a house in Glencoe but lives downtown now between the river and Millennium Park. It's the obvious place I'd move if I end up back in the US, but I'm not sure how I feel about Chicago in general, I think it's the lack of elevation change.

Win.