What's In a Name?

I have a question for all of you who are not originally from Pittsburgh—how did you know when to consider yourself a Pittsburgher and not just someone from fill-in-the-blank who lives here now?

I’ve been here six months, almost seven, and I can’t even believe it as I’m writing it right now. I really enjoy living here a lot. I will admit it was a difficult transition at first, but I can see myself staying here for a while for many reasons.

And although I call this home now, I don’t know if I feel comfortable calling myself a Pittsburgher yet. I’m trying to remember at what point living in San Diego I started to consider myself a San Diegan and I can’t.

What is it that makes you feel like a new place is home? Is it friends, family, work, all of the above?

I mean, I feel much more assimilated than I did even three months ago. I have family here and a job, but I don’t know if it’s become my city yet.

A lot of times we set arbitrary deadlines for ourselves like “I have to be married by 30” or “I have to move to New York by 25” and so many others. So even though I didn’t set a deadline for anything, six months feels like an amount of time where in the back of my mind I think I should have a certain life here and feel like this is home.

It does feel like home, but when I return to San Diego in six weeks for a wedding, am I ready to tell everyone that I’m a full-fledged Pittsburgher now? I don’t know. Do you?