We carry home with us no matter where we venture in the world. And, sometimes we compare what we see and how we feel with our memories of PA. Then, we have those treasured times, if we live away from home, when we get to go home to Pennsylvania for the holidays. Coming home again also leads us to a few realizations, including:

1. So much seems to have changed but…

You know how it goes. You drive past the local strip mall. Your favorite shops are gone and, in their place are big box stores or stores you’d never go in in a million years. We tend to notice the small things at home after we’ve been away awhile, don’t we?

2. Everything feels just the same.

Even with all those little changes, PA just feels like home. We cross the state line and we’re home. No matter how long we’ve been away, the time just melts away.

3. It’s still fun to drive around the neighborhood and look at the Christmas lights.

Remember how our parents used to take us for a drive around the neighborhood to look at the Christmas lights? How many of us still take that traditional neighborhood drive even when we visit home for the holidays? Even with all the fabulous light displays in the state, nothing really can beat that car ride around the neighborhood.

4. Upside down Christmas trees have always been trendy.

At least in PA. Before upside down Christmas trees became the "it" thing in the U.S., it was a treasured Pennsylvania-German tradition for generations.

5. There’s always something to do…

PA leaps alive during the holiday season, hosting German and international holiday markets. Local theaters put on performances of traditional classics like The Nutcracker. And, amusement parks turn into winter wonderlands. So much to do and only limited time to experience it all.

6. And something to see in PA during the holidays.

You just can’t beat the millions of twinkling lights that illuminate PA during the holiday season. No matter how small the town we live in, we’re sure to find a spellbinding light display that puts us in the holiday spirit.

7. Nothing can compare to the uniqueness of a New Year’s Eve in PA.

Pennsylvanians have their own way of celebrating the new year. Most of us don’t watch a ball drop. We watch one go up. Or, we gaze as a mushroom, a Hershey’s kiss, or a wrench drops to signify a new year.

8. Time melts away when we see old friends.

Going home again means catching up with old friends, some of whom we may not have seen for years. But, somehow, when we’re all back in our old hangouts, all those years simply melt away. And, it feels like just yesteryear.

9. New Year’s dinner just tastes so much better in PA.

We can eat the traditional PA New Year’s Day meal of pork and sauerkraut anywhere in the world. It just tastes better at home, made by our beloved family members or friends.

10. There’s no place like home.

We can travel the world. Spend the holidays in exotic locations. But, when it comes right down to it, there’s no place like home. And, there’s no better place to spend the holidays than in PA.

What do you love most when you go home to Pennsylvania for the holidays? Share below! Click here to read about the nine holiday traditions you'll only really get if you're from PA.