# Geography Survey: Where have you spent the most time in your life? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 22, 2005, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-survey-where-have-you-spent-the-most-time-in-your-life/295744 "2005-03-22T17:57:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-survey-where-have-you-spent-the-most-time-in-your-life/295744/21 "2005-03-23T02:40:45Z")
**Cities** 1-Oakley UT (Lived there for 16 years) 2-Park City UT (Worked/played/visited practically lived for 5 years) 3-Upland CA (residence from 2001-present) 4-La Verne CA (location of my University. There every single day for the past 4 years) 5-Antioch CA (residence from 1998-2001) 6-Salt Lake City (always a big deal to make a trip to the Big City!) 7-Los Angeles (I only go for concerts and cool stuff like that) 8-Pasadena (same) 9-Kamas Ut (That’s where my grandparents live and where my schools were located) 10–Um, Las Vegas **States** 1-Utah 2-California 3-Nevada **Countries** 1-USA 2-Italy (only foreign country Iv’e ever visited) ---
**Author:** ![laurelann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5daacb/32.png) [@laurelann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/laurelann)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-survey-where-have-you-spent-the-most-time-in-your-life/295744/22 "2005-03-23T02:44:00Z")
Cities 1. Ashburnham, MA-residence for 15 years 2. Westminster, MA-frequent visits, work, family moved there 3. Lowell, MA-2 years of school/residence 4. Fitchburg, MA-practically daily visits in earlier life 5. Leominster, MA-errands, family visits 6. West Yarmouth, MA/Hyannis, MA (right next to one another)-family visits 7. Gardner, MA-errands, dates, hanging out, visiting people…frequent visits. 8. Malden, MA/Somerville, MA (walking distance)-spending every weekend there during the summers, drum corps 9. Rindge, NH-errands 10. Chelmsford, MA-have been working there for a few months States 11. Massachusetts 12. New Hampshire 13. Connecticut 14. California 15. other misc. states during tour Countries 1. USA 2. Germany 3. Italy 4. Netherlands 5. Belgium ---
**Author:** ![Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilvert_s_Pagan)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-survey-where-have-you-spent-the-most-time-in-your-life/295744/23 "2005-03-23T02:44:42Z")
1. Chagrin Falls, Ohio - 8 years 2. Lexington, Kentucky - 7 years 3. Denver/Aurora/Golden/Pine, Colorado - 7 years 4. Cleveland Heights, Ohio - 6 years 5. Pueblo, Colorado - 5 years 6. Danville, Kentucky - 4 years 7. Bloomington, Indiana - 4 years 8. Laramie/Centennial, Wyoming - 3 years 9. Gaithersburg, Maryland - 1 year 10. Pontiac, Michigan - 9 months States: 1. Ohio 2. Colorado 3. Kentucky 4. Indiana 5. Wyoming Countries: 1. Canada 2. UK 3. Australia 4. New Zealand 5. Mexico ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-survey-where-have-you-spent-the-most-time-in-your-life/295744/24 "2005-03-23T02:53:38Z")
Cities/Towns: 1. Monroe Twp., NJ - raised there - 15 years or so 2. Old Bridge, NJ - about 5 years residence total 3. South River, NJ - ditto 4. Santa Rosa, CA - going on 5 years living here 5. Philipsburg, PA - lived there 3 years 6. State College, PA - worked there for 3 years, visited friends/went out some weekends 7. Sea Bright, NJ - spent too many summer weekends there to count, and a few week-long stays thrown in. 8. Atlantic City, NJ - week long stays, weekend stays, day trips, night trips, etc. 9. New York City, NY - bar/club stomping grounds on the nights 2 AM was just too early to wrap it up, family visits, shopping, day trips, etc. 10. San Francisco, CA - We’re averaging around 2 weekends a month, and misc. day trips. States: 1. New Jersey 2. California 3. Pennsylvania 4. New York 5.Louisiana (I lived there with my parents when I was around 18 months old or so for about a year, barely remember it, have only been back to visit family once.) Countries: 1. USA 2. Mexico I need to get out more. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-survey-where-have-you-spent-the-most-time-in-your-life/295744/25 "2005-03-23T02:56:53Z")
1. Petaluma, CA (8-18; 21-23) 2. San Francisco, CA (birth-8, plus a million visits since Petaluma isn’t far from SF) 3. Santa Cruz, CA (18-19; 21) 4. Chicago, IL (25-26; present and ongoing) 5. Ann Arbor, MI (24) 6. Jerusalem, Israel (nine months when I was 20) 7. Haifa, Israel (two months when I was 20) 8. Mission Viejo, CA (my grandparents live/d there) 9. Lake Forest, CA (my aunt and uncle live there; it’s right next door to Mission Viejo so it’s hard to separate the two. I’d say I’ve spent at least three months cumulatively in those two cities.) 10. Mexico City, Mexico (another aunt and uncle live there.) Another aunt and uncle have lived in a couple different LA suburbs, which splits their total. If you consider LA county as part of Los Angeles, then I’ve spent lots more time there than in Mexico City. All in all, I’ve probably spent over six months cumulative in Southern California. **States** CA IL MI OH NV **Countries** US Israel Mexico UK Italy ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-survey-where-have-you-spent-the-most-time-in-your-life/295744/26 "2005-03-23T03:07:19Z")
Cities 1. \*\*Logansport, LA \*\* (Grew Up There) 2. \*\*Shreveport, LA \*\* (Closest City) 3. **New Orleans, LA** (College) 4. **Hanover, NH** (Grad School) 5. **Canterbury, NH** (Weekend House) 6. **Brighton, MA** (Lived for 3 years) 7. **Holliston, MA** (Now Home) 8. **Milford, MA** (Shop there) 9. **St. Croix USVI** (vacations every year) 10. \*\* Clinton, MS \*\* (Mother and stepfather live there) States 1. **Louisiana** 2. **Texas** 3. **Vermont** 4. **New Hampshire** 5. **Massachusetts** Countries 1. **USA** 2. **France** 3. **Italy** 4. **Canada** 5. **Mexico** ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-survey-where-have-you-spent-the-most-time-in-your-life/295744/27 "2005-03-23T03:21:12Z")
Man, some of you people are way too old to be on the internet! 😉 Cities: Orangeburg, SC - 18 years Clemson, SC - 5 years (college) Athens, GA - Wife’s family Charlotte, NC - Family visits Birmingham, AL - Family visits Middle of Nowhere, PA - CreationFest San Antonio, TX - Business trip w/ father States 1. SC 2. GA 3. NC 4. AL 5. PA Countries 1. US 2. Mexico I don’t have enough money to get out more. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-survey-where-have-you-spent-the-most-time-in-your-life/295744/28 "2005-03-23T03:25:33Z")
Cities 1. Cherry Hill, NJ (18 years residence, vists) 2. Santa Fe, NM (current resident) 3. Philadelphia, PA (frequent visits) 4. Moorestown, NJ (employed for the most miserable summer of my life) 5. Silver Springs, MD (frequent family visits) 6. Cleveland, OH (visits) 7. Canton, OH (visits) 8. Colorado Springs, CO (visits, vacation) 9. Sea Isle City (day trips) 10. Ocean City (day trips) States 1. NJ 2. PA 3. NM 4. OH 5. MD Countries 1. USA 2. Canada 3. Costa Rica ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-survey-where-have-you-spent-the-most-time-in-your-life/295744/29 "2005-03-23T04:25:52Z")
New York City - about 20 years total Panama - about 15 years total Boulder, Colorado - about 6 years Washington DC - 5 years Ithaca NY - 4 years New Zealand - 3 1/2 years Countries: USA Panama New Zealand Gabon Peru ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-survey-where-have-you-spent-the-most-time-in-your-life/295744/30 "2005-03-23T05:06:50Z")
1. 9 years, 9 months of residence: Montreal, Quebec (current residence) 2. 8 years, 8 months of residence: Winnipeg, Manitoba (grew up) 3. About 4 years of residence: Saint John, New Brunswick (birthplace) 4. About 1 year of residence: North Hatley, Quebec 5. Innumerable family trips of a week or more: Apsley, Ontario (cottage) 6-10. Estimated longest/most frequent vacation stays: Lake of the Woods, Ontario; Los Angeles, California; Palm Springs, California; Peterborough, Ontario. Provinces: 1. Quebec 2. Manitoba 3. New Brunswick 4. Ontario 5. either British Columbia or Alberta Countries: 1. Canada 2. United States 3. Spain 4. France 5. The Netherlands (4 hours changing planes at Schiphol. No, I’m not as well travelled as I’d like to be.) ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-survey-where-have-you-spent-the-most-time-in-your-life/295744/31 "2005-03-23T05:20:32Z")
I haven’t moved around very much. Cherokee, IA - 18 years. Iowa City, IA - 4 years. Ridgecrest, CA - 55 years. Countries: Canada Mexico UK Netherlands Belgium Germany Austria Lichtenstein Switzerland Italy France Spain Andorra Denmark ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-survey-where-have-you-spent-the-most-time-in-your-life/295744/32 "2005-03-23T05:27:59Z")
1. Spring Valley, CA – 19 years’ residence 2. La Mesa, Lemon Grove, CA – nearby towns, shopping 3. San Diego, CA – nearest large city 4. Berkeley, CA – college & early career 5. Walnut Creek, Concord, and Pleasant Hill, CA – towns I lived in while attending college 6. Hayward, CA – worked there briefly 7. Alameda, CA – work there now 8. Pacifica, CA – rental with my girlfriend (now wife) 9. American Canyon, CA – live there now 10 Reno, NV – we go there a lot 10. California 11. Maryland (sister lives there) 12. Virginia (parents lived there) 13. Hawaii (honeymooned there) 14. Nevada (Reno) Honorable mention to Oregon, Illinois, New York, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Mexico, & Texas 15. USA 16. Netherlands (mom’s from there) 17. Belgium (same trip as Netherlands) 18. Switzerland (brother born there) 19. France & Luxembourg (one day each, all that same trip) ---
**Author:** ![Low\_Key\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed655f/32.png) [@Low\_Key\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Low_Key_1)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-survey-where-have-you-spent-the-most-time-in-your-life/295744/33 "2005-03-23T05:29:54Z")
**Cities** 1. Waukesha, WI (Lived for ~12 years) 2. Gothenburg, Sweden (Lived for ~6 years + family visits while living in US) 3. Glasgow, Scotland (Study at University, spent 2 years there so far) 4. Heppenheim, Germany (Born there, lived for 2 years - don’t remember it though) 5. Vasteras, Sweden (Lived there for 1 year) 6. Auckland, NZ (In the middle of a 1 year study abroad exchange here) 7. Nelson, NZ (spent this past summer there working) 8. Minneapolis, MN (visiting my sister who lives there on a few occasions) 9 and 10 could be anywhere I’ve visited in my life - can’t remember staying anywhere for too long of a time period) **Countries** 1. USA 2. Sweden 3. Scotland 4. Germany 5. New Zealand Not too bad for a 22 year old I think… looking forward to adding some more cities to my list of places I’ve lived once I graduate… ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-survey-where-have-you-spent-the-most-time-in-your-life/295744/34 "2005-03-23T05:30:05Z")
I see that others list states and I don’t want to be left out. California Oregon Washington Arizona New Mexico Texas Utah Idaho Montana Wyoming Colorado Nebraska South Dakota North Dakota Minesota Iowa Missouri Kansas Oklahoma Wisconsin Illinois Indiana Ohio Pennsylvania New Jersey New York Connecticut Rhode Island Massachusetts New Hampshire Virginia Maryland North Carolina West Virginia Kentucky Georgia Florida Alabama Some of them for just a brief time. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-survey-where-have-you-spent-the-most-time-in-your-life/295744/35 "2005-03-23T07:13:00Z")
We get to list all the states and coutries we’ve visited? I didn’t realize that. U.S. States Just about all of 'em. I haven’t been to **Alaska, Mississippi, or Alabama.** Australian States **Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia** Canadian Provinces **Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick, British Columbia** Countries **USA Germany Australia Canada Mexico the Netherlands Kenya Tanzania El Salvador Ecuador** ---
**Author:** ![colour\_wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/edb3f5/32.png) [@colour\_wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colour_wolf)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-survey-where-have-you-spent-the-most-time-in-your-life/295744/36 "2005-03-23T07:43:02Z")
Cities 1. Belleville, Ont (8 years) 2. Guelph, Ont (5 years) 3. Kaohsiung, Taiwan (4 years) 4. Brockville, Ont (4 years) 5. Kingston, Ont (3 years) 6. Toronto, Ont (2 years) 7. Tokyo, Japan (2 years-residence for 3 more weeks) 8. Oshawa, Ont. (1 year-birthplace) 9. Peterborough, Ont (8 months) 10. Cochabamba, Bolivia (3 months) 11. Ulsan, Korea (3 months) Countries 12. Canada 13. Taiwan 14. Japan 15. Bolivia 16. Korea or maybe America (visited many times) ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-survey-where-have-you-spent-the-most-time-in-your-life/295744/37 "2005-03-23T08:21:14Z")
Towns: Boston, MA: 21 years Sangenjaya, Japan: 4.5 years Machida, Japan: 2.8 years (technically, Machida and Sangenjaya are both in Tokyo, but they’re really far apart and very different types of neighborhood) Hamamatsu, Japan: 2.5 years Oxford, ME: 2 years (on and off for weekends and summer vacations) Olivet, France: 6 months Countries: 1. US (23 years) 2. Japan (10 years, probably going to end up being #1 eventually) 3. France (6 months) ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-survey-where-have-you-spent-the-most-time-in-your-life/295744/38 "2005-03-23T13:06:30Z")
I grew up in **Dayton, OH**. Went to college in **Cincinnati, OH**. Co-op’ed in **Gaithersburg, MD** during college. After college I moved back to **Dayton, OH**. I’m now 37, and have lived in the the **Dayton, OH** area ever since. ---
**Author:** ![gouda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c77e96/32.png) [@gouda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gouda)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-survey-where-have-you-spent-the-most-time-in-your-life/295744/39 "2005-03-23T13:08:50Z")
Cities: Bombay, India: 18 years Poona, India: 4 years Sangli, India: 4 years (I call these my Lost Years) Hatfield, England: 3 months Hamburg, Germany: 3 months Ingolstadt, Germany: 7 months Munich, Germany: 3 months Dubai, U.A.E.: 10 very cool days Countries: India: 26 years Germany: 1 year England: 3 months Aside from these, I’ve visited and spent at least a few days in pretty much every major coastal country in the world. My dad used to be a merchant mariner, and until I was about 6, we spent about 3 months a year (not always continuous) sailing with him. ---
**Author:** ![carlb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carlb/32/5930_2.png) [@carlb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlb)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-survey-where-have-you-spent-the-most-time-in-your-life/295744/40 "2005-03-23T15:24:11Z")
1. Yardville, NJ (near Trenton) - 17 yrs. growing up, college breaks 2. Naperville, IL (and various locales around there) - 10 years 3. Troy, NY - 4 years of college 4. Chicago, IL - 2 years 5. St. Croix, USVI - 20 months on job assignment 6. Merritt Island, FL - 8 months, current 7. Uxbridge, MA - 4 months for job 8. Tioga, ND - 6 weeks for job 9. Chesapeake, VA - 6 weeks for job 10. Smithville, RI - 3 weeks for job Fun little exercise. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-survey-where-have-you-spent-the-most-time-in-your-life/295744.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geography-survey-where-have-you-spent-the-most-time-in-your-life/295744.md?page=3)