A Military Child's "Where I'm From"

I am from cold, harsh winters and frostbit toes

I am from roaring waterfalls

where you snack on warm apple cider donuts and lick the sugar from your lips

I am from a home where deer run in the backyard

where there are faces in trees

I am from nights filled playing hide and seek with friends

When we were younger and times were simpler

I am from quaint coastal towns

Filled with mansions from an era long before mine

I am from sailboat rides and Subway sandwiches

From a time when I would take a walkie-talkie out with me

and not come back home until nightfall

I am from a place where Annyeonghaseyo came before Hello

Where me and the neighborhood kids would run free all day, with no school to worry about because of a sickness that we didn’t quite understand

I am from eating gyeongdan while watching the Armed Forces Network with my family

I am from barbecue restaurants that served everything from kimchi to soju

I am from pasta and pizza

Where when you don’t understand, people talk louder rather than more clearly

And with their hands too

I’m from bike rides through the countryside

Dodging stinkbugs and locusts as I wove through the hills

I am from public transport, catching local buses into town

From sagras, where late nights are filled with the sound of music

And stomachs are full after eating one too many fritelles

I am from hearty meals and family gatherings

From festivals every weekend

Where soulful music plays

I am from hot, humid nights

Walking up and down the street with my friends

and never running out of things to talk about

I am home

This poem is inspired by George Ella Lyon’s poem “Where I’m From.” Each stanza I wrote was based on a different place I lived growing up as a military child. Moving around a lot, I got to experience so many different cultures, and I always enjoy reflecting back on the little details that make me nostalgic for past duty stations.