Ah New Hampshire, most people can't find it on a map, some people think it's where Vermont is, at least they're close right? Growing up in New Hampshire, there are some things that are obvious to you that aren't as obvious to people outside of the state or just outside its borders.
1. Everyone knows or knows someone who knows Adam Sandler.
I know multiple people who know/have met Adam Sandler. Everyone either went to high school with him or knows someone who knows his family. One of my friends met him at Canobie Lake Park recently.
2. Canobie Lake Park is a standard field trip or summer destination.
My school district sends groups to Canobie at least four times each year. Everyone within two hours of the park has probably been more times than they can remember and even though most people are over it, they keep going back.
3. We're maple syrup snobs.
Maple syrup is amazing here. End of story. No breakfast is complete without some maple syrup on the table.
4. "Wicked" is whatever we want it to be.
From adjectives to nouns to verbs, "wicked" is a word that can be whatever the speaker wants it to be.
5. We love outdoor sports.
Pick a season and we have a sport to play. We might not be the best at it, but we'll be there at least cheering someone on.
6. We aren't all rednecks.
We have an abundance of farms and roughly 85 percent of the state is still forest, but we still have our cities. Manchester and Nashua are pretty busy and home to vibrant downtown life and mega malls just like every other state.
7. "Manchvegas" and "Trashua" are terms of endearment that you can't use if you're not from here.
They might seem a little harsh, but they aren't if you use them right. I grew up right in the middle of Nashua and Manchester and know that Manchvegas and Trashua are nicknames used in a joking way only.
8. We have no sales tax.
I always get confused when I go stopping in other states and the price when I go to check out isn't the same as the price on the tag. We have a lot of people from other states come to our malls to do their shopping and honestly, I don't blame them.
9. Fluffernutters are a way of life.
Did you even grow up in NH if your parents didn't send you to school with a peanut butter and Fluff sandwich? You can't go wrong with this staple sandwich.
10. Vanity plates are so common it's ridiculous.
We have the second most concentration of vanity plates behind Virginia. They say a lot about you, from who's in your family to your favorite this or that.
11. Massholes are the worst drivers on the face of the planet.
From birth we heard our parents calling out Massholes for their bad driving and weaving in traffic without the use of headlights. Honestly though, if you grew up close enough to the border, you probably picked up a few aggressive driving hacks (I'm way too guilty of that).
12. New England sports are the most important things ever.
Pats, Sox, Bruins, Celtics. There is no other way. We don't have our own sports so we rely on Massachusetts to provide our professional sports for us, and they do a pretty good job if you ask me. Everyone has some sort of alliance to one of these great teams even if they don't like sports. It's almost expected of everyone to watch play offs, or at least pay attention to the highlights.
13. We have the smallest coastline in the U.S. but we're proud of it.
We have 18 miles of packed beaches every summer, and we're so happy to about it.
14. We live our motto to a T.
Over 18, we don't have to wear seat belts or helmets on motorcycles. Live Free or Die is the most important part of our being, and we embrace it wholeheartedly.
15. We're more than fall colors and the first primary in the country.
While we're proud of being able to hold the first primary in the country and that every single candidate comes to our state for each election as well as our beautiful fall colors, there is so much more to this state. Keep in mind that we are more than voters with some wicked pretty backyards.
I just left my home-state for the next three months, and I could not be more proud to say that I am from the wonderful state of New Hampshire.
