Growing up in Pennsylvania, and living here, means we all share some unique experiences that few others would understand, for better or for worse. (Though our neighbors in Ohio and New Jersey might be able to chime in on a few of these.) Here are 19 relatable experiences about Pennsylvania that will probably have you nodding your head in agreement.
1. Let's get one thing straight, right off the bat: it's not Pennsylvania, it's PA.
If you refer to it as Pennsylvania, you'll immediately out yourself as a non-native.
2. There's nothing better than a Philly cheesesteak, though whether Pat's or Geno's is superior is an ongoing debate. (There's also the eternal underdog, Jim's.)
3. Even if you live in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, or another metropolitan area, you know you don't have to drive more than half an hour to find horses and buggies, cows, and moon pies.
What's your favorite thing about life in Pennsylvania?
4. You're proud to live in what is essentially hundreds of miles of rural paradise bookended by two of the best cities in the country.
5. You expect to find forests, waterfalls, mountains, caves, and lakes without driving more than hour.
6. You also expect to experience all four seasons in almost equal amounts.
Growing up in Pennsylvania, you also know that you can experience all four seasons in a single day, too.
7. As soon as the weather changes, people around you immediately switch from complaining about it being too cold to it being too hot, or vice versa.
We'll wear shorts all year around, though.
8. The summer humidity is like a wet blanket that will cease its smothering for no man.
9. You are newly stunned each autumn by how breathtaking the foliage is when it changes colors.
10. Every year, we repave many of our roads, only to find that winter has left them cracked and full of potholes once spring rolls around.
Living in Pennsylvania means looking forward to construction season, not summer.
11. When snow is in the forecast, you better get your milk and bread before everyone else does.
12. Scrapple: you either love it or hate it, and if you don't know what it is, you don't want to find out.
13. You've been living here so long that you no longer giggle at silly town names like "Intercourse" or "Blue Balls."
14. You also don't think of the Bible when someone talks about Bethlehem, Nazareth, Emmaus, or Egypt.
15. We're divided amongst ourselves. In Philly, you eat a lollipop, drink soda, and have to watch out for slippery floors. If you're in the western part of the state, however, you eat a sucker, drink pop, and watch out for slippy floors.
16. Stink bugs: THEY'RE TAKING OVER THE WORLD.
17. Your elementary school education included at least three field trips to Philadelphia, two field trips to farms, and at least a million field trips to go apple picking.
18. Even if you don't go hunting, you know plenty of people who do. Bambi would NOT do well here.
19. We don't have to go all the way out west-- we have our own Grand Canyon tucked away in Pennsylvania.
Pine Creek Gorge is a must visit for anyone living in Pennsylvania.
What are your favorite things about living in Pennsylvania? How many of these 20 things about life in Pennsylvania can you relate to? Join the conversation in the comments! Then see if you agree that these are 16 ways living in Pennsylvania spoils you for life.
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