Archive · 7 Nov 2025
Author Navigates Identity Across Multiple Cities: 'Nowhere and Everywhere'
Imagine you move to a new town, then another, and another.
The author of this story has done just that!
She grew up in Shimla but felt a bit different because her parents were from different places.
Then she moved to Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Bangalore, and now lives near Delhi.
Everywhere she went, people would ask, 'Where are you *really* from?'
like they couldn't quite place her.
She didn't have one single village or town that felt like 'hers' in the way others did.
It made her feel like she didn't quite belong anywhere.
But, she realized that all these places she lived in left a little piece of themselves with her.
Like collecting souvenirs, she gathered memories, friends, and small things that made each place feel a little bit like home.
So, even though she doesn't have one city she's from, she feels like she's from all the places she's lived, and that's okay.
The author has lived in multiple cities including Shimla, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Bangalore, and Delhi-NCR over her three decades.
She often felt a lack of complete belonging, frequently being asked 'Where are you from?' due to her mixed heritage and transient lifestyle.
Despite not having a single place to call 'home' in the traditional sense, the author cherishes memories and small comforts from each city.
She notes how cities change over time, with old familiar places disappearing and new structures taking their place.
The author concludes that her identity is a composite of all the places she has lived, feeling she belongs 'everywhere and nowhere'.
- Who
- The author, who has lived in and moved between multiple cities.
- What
- The author reflects on her sense of identity and belonging, often feeling like an outsider despite living in various cities, and concludes that her identity is a tapestry of all the places she has lived.
- When
- Over the author's three decades of life, with specific mentions of childhood, university years, and current residence.
- Where
- Shimla, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Bangalore, and Delhi-NCR.
- Why
- The author's sense of displacement stems from her mixed heritage and the tendency of people to inquire about specific origins, leading her to feel she belongs to 'everywhere and nowhere'.
- Author's Stated Homes
- Shimla, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Delhi-NCR
- Cities Mentioned for Family Origin
- Shimla (father), Garhwal (mother), various places due to Partition (paternal grandmother), Srinagar/Uttarakhand (maternal grandparents)
- Time Spent in Shimla
- 20 years
- Core Question Posed
- 'Where are you from?'
- Author's Current Feeling of Belonging
- Strangely at ease in Delhi-NCR, feeling like she belongs nowhere and everywhere