Recently someone here in the “family” suggested that we all write about our hometowns of America. I thought that was a great idea because the “family” I speak of is my online marketing partners, all associated with the PBS system. We are well over 500 strong of current people and thousands of others have passed this way.
I will start my blogs in this category with each of the places that I have lived in my 84 years. They range from coast to coast and, yes, I did that drive across the country three times as a single woman with a small child. Each trip was an amazing adventure of its own, so I will make pages about each of those trips too.
The chronology of these pages is a bit strange because we moved back and forth between places several times. The dates shown are the first date when I was at that location and the final time.
Norwalk, Connecticut
Intermittently from 1939 -1958. Although I was born in Akron, Ohio, my first memories of a location are of Norwalk, Connecticut, where I lived off and on during my first 20 years of life (actually 17, because I was three when the family first moved here).
Akron, Ohio and surrounding cities
Intermittently between 1947 and 1962. Although I was born here in 1935, we moved to Connecticut when I was only three, so I have no memory of those early years. But the family did return to Ohio when I was 12 and in the seventh grade in school. We stayed that time until my senior year in high school when we returned to Norwalk, CT for my senior year and a few years afterward.
San Francisco Bay Area, California
Intermittently between 1962 and 1992. My first destination in the West when I was 27 (1962). And the location of the first home I bought on my own. As a single woman, there is a story there to tell too.
Washington, DC, and surroundings
1968-1974 The final destination of my second cross country trip to try to break into the computer programming world. Go here to read about the area and my time there. It was for only about a 6 year interval.
Greater Phoenix, Az Area
1992 – Present – My first totally work from home location at my house on the Golf Course. And my final retirement home on 2-1/2 acres in the foothills of the San Tan Mountains overlooking the Phoenix valley.
The Trips across America to these Hometowns
Cross Country Trip Route 66 – 1962
Ohio to California in January of 1962. The southern route – old Route #66. A rusted out Nash Rambler with a six year old riding shot gun in the back watching to protect us from Indians.
Cross Country Trip Route 50 – 1968
California to Maryland in 1968. Northern Route #50. A dog, a cat, a 12-year-old son, and a friend of my brother’s just home from Vietnam.
Cross Country Trip Route 80 – 1974
Back to California after a successful beginning of my computer career but lonely times so far from family. Accompanied this time with my 80+ old aunt and several side trips along the way off Route 80.
That’s a Recap of my Hometowns of America
Yes, I’ve lived a ton of places and, of course, each has its own story. When I applied for work with the Government and had to get a security clearance, the poor investigator had to review 23 different addresses at that time and that was only the beginning. If you’re interested, and I hope you will be, these pages pretty much spell out my life. But also contain many humourous and also frightening stories. Thank you for your interest and for reading.
