Where have you lived?

I originally posted this in a comment at Sarah Von’s Yes and Yes earlier this morning.  Sarah has a new let’s-make-list feature, because lists are fun (they are).  I love this list because Sarah’s also from Minnesota, so the places we’ve lived in the Twin Cities aren’t too far from each other.  Becca posted her response on her own blog, and I was inspired to do the same, because I’d love to know where my readers have been and where you are now!

My list, starting from birth and moving forward…

0-1: Huntsville, AL.  A lot of my mom’s family still lives here, and it’s still one of my absolute favorite places to visit.  I can’t wait to get down there over the holidays and meet Jonas – the latest addition to our family, and my cousin Michelle’s (and her hubs Chris‘) new baby boy.

1-3: Apple Valley, MN. Northwest Airlines moved us up here when I was a wee little Doni, and only held us for a year and a half or so before we moved back down south.

3-13: Memphis, TN.  I still remember the address and phone number.  We lived in a cove (cul-de-sac, court, whatever), and I have a ton of memories around playing kickball and riding our bikes around.  We also had a pool, so I grew up doing cannonballs and jack-knifes off the diving board.

13-18: Cottage Grove, MN. Despite leaving Memphis during 8th grade, it wasn’t at all traumatic.  In fact, it was fun and I loved the move.  With Pops’ flight benefits, we could get back and forth to Memphis fairly simply so I went back to visit pretty often.  I went to Cottage Grove Junior High (for a year), and graduated from Park High School (GO WOLFPACK).  My parents still live here, for now.

Freshman Year: Mankato, MN – McElroy Hall.  I lived in another hall before this one with Betsy, who’d be my junior year roommate at the University of Minnesota as well.  She was fun, and we were really good roommates.

Sophomore Year: Milwaukee, WI (Marquette University – Schroeder Hall).  Ah, the professional transfer studenting begins.  I was only here for a year, but it was an awesome year.  I met Megan here, a girl who’d become one of those soulmate-type, always-pick-up-where-you-leave-off friends who I miss daily.

Junior-Senior Year: Dinkytown, Minneapolis, MN. Cheap, college student housing.  Great roommates, killer campus location.  Around the corner from who’d become some of my best friends.  LOVED living here.

Big girl places

Lauderdale, MN (Como Park area).  Lived with Christina, a girl I’d met at work at River Oaks Golf Course in Cottage Grove (one of the best jobs I’ve ever had), and our two cats – Roxy (who I still have) and Tommy (who she still has).  LOTS of roommate nights with wine and experimental cooking and watching old movies together.

Merriam Park Neighborhood, St. Paul, MN (I forget what that neighborhood is called, but I was at Hague/Dunlap near Lexongton and Selby).  Lived with Bang (nickname, yes) the whole time and co-worker, Erin for part of it, and Sasha for the rest of it.

SW Minneapolis (Armatage neighborhood), MN.  Bang and Sasha would stay my roommates at this place, and are part of some of the best best best roommate experiences I’ve ever had – roommate nights, porch nights, SATC nights, lots of wine, lots of music, lots of girl time.  We also lived with Dirty (nickname, obvs), and for four girls living in the same place for over a year – we got along really, really well.

Boulder, CO. You all know about this place, but Ash and I met via @20SB and have been kicking it together here in Boulder since February.  I’m so, so grateful for the chance to be living here where not only the people, but the place and the experiences here have strongly shaped this chapter of my life.

Next?  Stay tuned.

Do we have any in common?  Where will you live next?