N400, Address history and going outside the US

[GRL75]

Dear all,
I am filling my N-400 and have a question regarding the address history.

I moved in the US and lived right away in California from 10/01/2013 to 08/01/2014 (10 months) in an apartment with a lease.
At the end of this lease, I moved to a friend's place for 1 month before going back to my country for personal reasons (but I didn't want to give up my LPR, Actually I was waiting a job offer from Florida). I stayed in Europe 3 months.
I finally got back in the US, in Florida on 12/01/2014 and got a new place/job and filed a new AR-11 to update my address with the USCIS.

While I was abroad, I added the address of my friend as contact address for my banks, car insurance, etc.


So to recap :
10/01/2013 to 08/01/2014 (Apartment) = Official address, USCIS (AR-11) was aware
08/02/2014 to 09/01/2014 (Friend) = Unofficial address since I was temporary staying at my friend's place, USCIS was not aware of this address (they still had in file the first address)
09/02/2014 to 11/01/2014 (Europe) = I was in Europe
11/02/2014 to 02/01/2016 (Miami) = I moved back to the us, Official address, USCIS (AR-11) updated


Questions :
How do I explain this ? Technically, they ask where I "lived", not where I stayed. Is it the same ?
Should I only communicate the addresses appearing in the AR-11's ?
Are we supposed to provide leases/proffs at the ITW ?
Should I say that I was in Europe/friend's places and provide those addresses?

Thank yo very much

[ponyo_rocks]

What I've seen recommended before is to write all your US addresses, including your friend's where you stayed 1 month. You can carry a separate sheet with Europe addresses and hand it over if they ask you. Since it was only a 3 month trip, they may not bring it up. Where were you getting mail, use that US address? As far as I know, AR-11 is intended to be able to reach you with USCIS communications.

[suziq38]

It is always best to tell the truth. They want to know where you stayed and lived.