places

we had a map of hawaii and a map of the continental united states in our hall. both were multi colored, where each island and each state was a different hue.
i used to beleive that each state was an island, but they didn't have enough room on the map to draw the water surrounding each island so they squished them all together to fit on the map.

Anon

I moved to Los Angeles from the midwest when I was 18, and was thrilled to hear reports on the radio about surfing conditions. But I always wondered where Port AuVere was located. I was 27 before I realized he was saying waves were "poor to fair."

KROQ-er

When I was little the were a string of arsons in my city. And I remember thinking, man I wouldn't want to live on Arson street, there is always a fire there.

Nikki

I used to believe that there was only one lighthouse in the world and it was at the centre of the earth.

Anon

I grew up in California, USA, where many city names are of Spanish origin and have kept something like the original pronunciation. I used to believe that the city of San Jose (pronounced 'san ho-say' like the Spanish) was just right next to the city San Jose (pronounced 'san jo-za' as if it were English).

Sandi

I used to believe that New Zealand was a place, which was made by the butcher of my neighborhood, in order to put his lambs there !

Giorgos

I could not understand, after listening to theevening news during the turbulent period in the late 60's, why everyone Haighted this guy named Ashbury in San Francisco.

jimt

When I was a child, I thought that was impossible to visit another city... until a car appears from another one.

Chinny

I live in Norway and when i was younger
i thougt that Africa were on the other side of Trondheims-sea ,

martine from norway.....14

When I was about 7 years old, in 1963, my grade school teacher asked 'Can anyone point out Germany on the map?' I confidently walked to the front and pointed to Cuba. I'll always remember the consternation this caused the teacher. Why was I so sure Cuba was Germany? It could only be that Second War films and TV coverage of the Cuban missile crisis had somehow become intermingled in my mind!

peter, london

I have lived in WAY northern Ca for most of my life, and whenever I would see a car with a sticker on it that had the letters OB and a small flying bird..I used to tell my friends that it meant they were an OB/GYN, and would usually comment on the type of car they had, like if it was a junky one, WOW! what a horrible car for a doctor to have! It wasnt until I moved to San Diego County, and drove through Ocean Beach that i saw that same symbol..and realized what an idiot I was! (BTW, I was 28, when I moved to SD)

Ericka

I was just old enough to ride my bicycle around our Seattle Neighborhood in the Northwestern US. My understanding of geography was such that Washington, was just south of Canada. With this in mind, I set out one day to bike to Canada. Some six to eight blocks north of our house I asked a lady doing yardwork, "Is this Canada?" "No. You have a ways to go yet." she replied.
So maybe it was a 120 miles, give or take, but then I couldn't have told you how far a mile was either.

Kevin

When we were little my family would visit relatives in Mississippi every summer. The first time my youngest sister made the drive with us she very seriously leaned over the front seat half way through the drive and asked my Dad when we would be to "Mrs. Hippies" house!

Andrea Kelly

To understand this, one needs to know two facts:
1. My mother lived in Greece for a while in her 20's.
2. My grandmother lives in a house by the riverside.
Going to my grandmother's house was always an adventure, especially going out back to swim; and I was convinced that, if one swam far enough, one would get to Greece, just on the other side of the river.

Jade NB

When I was a small child, my mother would tell me about her parents and my dad's parents coming to the United States "on the boat." I used to believe that ALL immigrants came to the U.S. on ONE boat. There were not many ships, making many trips. Just one boat. "THE" boat.

Ellie

When I was about 10 (not sure how old exactly), I heard that I was moving to Pennsylvania. With a feeling of shock and horror, I replied with, "Isn't that where Dracula lives?" Of course my folks got a big kick out of this and said yes, refusing to replace PENNsylvaina with TRANsylvania.

J.T.