I spent most of my childhood in Western Maryland, just outside of Frederick. Growing up in Maryland was an experience to say the least because, after moving away and meeting a plethora of people, I've learned that Maryland is just... weird.
1. You're 99% sure everywhere in the world is equally obsessed with crabs.
Believe it or not, the further you venture from your hometown, the less people have this sticker on their bumper. While your aunt and uncle may have their Maryland flag proudly displayed in their rec room amongst all of their Terps paraphernalia, most other people hardly even know what it looks like. Also, Maryland crabs are, like, a really big deal. I guess we make it hard to get them anywhere else?
2. Ocean City had the hottest supply of airbrushed hats and t-shirts to commemorate your vacation.
Don't even pretend you and every other girl in your school didn't have one of these. If you were really into the trends, you tied it up at your hip to show a colored camisole. Don't worry... no one's cool when they're 11.
3. The accent.
The Maryland accent is a strange thing that will only really become apparent to you once you leave. The over stressing of the 'ah's and 'oo's is something that only applies to our one little part of the world. However, it's not too far off from Jersey. Maybe all those years making fun of Jersey accents as kids made our voices stick that way. Oh, and we add t's to things that don't have t's. Acrosst.
4. OLD BAY.
Need I say more?
5. Everything revolves around Maryland.
Everything in your history classes will mention something about Maryland. Anytime your order crab legs at a restaurant, it's a bragging right to say they're from Maryland. DC's kind of part of us, even if they're technically not. Maryland basketball screwed up everyone's brackets at least a little. Everything comes back to Maryland
6. BWI and Dulles are very, very different places.
Many people think that because it's Baltimore Washington International Airport, it's in DC. Not quite. BWI is Baltimore, Dulles is DC.
7. We were part of the South-- no wait... the North.. wait...
As a kid you just couldn't see your state as a slave state. Also it's cold as heck sometimes in Maryland... so could we really be part of the south??
8. If you grew up in a small town, every girl you hung out with in middle school is pregnant now.
Scrolling through my Instagram feed goes a little something like this: college friend, non-Maryland friend, pregnant girl from Maryland, college friend, three pregnant hometown girls at a baby shower for their pregnant friend, college friend, a picture of my middle school best friend's baby. It's insane.
9. Forecast of 30 degrees all morning and then... 75 degrees at noon?
If you had a fire drill in the morning and your hair was still wet, you'd better say goodbye to your health. But by the end of the day you'd have to carry your heavy winter coat home because it was just too hot to have it on.
10. So. Many. Sheetz.
I know they originated in Altoona, PA, which isn't too far down the road, but do we really need that much MTO food?
Maybe our weather makes no sense, maybe we idolize crabs and Old Bay, maybe our accents are weird, but every time I look at the Maryland sticker on my laptop I get a sense of home. Maryland is home.
