So one can "imprint" on those who they spend a great deal of time around...
It doesn't even take that long. When I used to travel a lot for my job, my accent would change to wherever I was.
Spend a week in Canada, come home and my girlfriend says I sound more Canadian.
Spend a week Texas, come home and my girlfriend says I sound more Southern.
It'd always wear off back to standard after a couple days.
I found it easier, during my travels, to get along and blend in with the locals better if I didn't fight what was customary, but it still seemed totally involuntary and subconscious for my accent to change.
Oh yeah, I used to have a British friend that had been living in the states most his life who'd go back home every once in a while and he always had a British accent for about a week when he got back... but then it'd gradually fade away back to normal.
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