Because I'm American living abroad, the first question girls usually ask me is "Where are you from?" This is either in the country where I live, Denmark, or when I'm visiting Sweden, which I do a lot. To which I usually reply with something like: "California, but I've lived here a long time" (Denmark) or "I live in Copenhagen, but I'm from California" (Sweden). Sometimes I just say "The States", but people usually find California a bit more interesting. Then sometimes I'll ask where they are from (meaning what part of Sweden or Denmark) or they'll ask if I like living here or, if they're not from the city we're in, I'll ask how they like living here. But, this is where I'm having trouble. Fine we've exchanged our geographical origins and preferences, but what now? It's great if she's been to the States and starts talking about something she did there. Or once in a while I will know something interesting or have a question about where they are from. But, a lot of times, that's not the case and the conversation can fall flat.

Any suggestion on a better way to get a conversation (and potential pick-up) rolling out of this? Or any more clever replies/topics?