Growing up in the small town of Hoosick Falls, New York, I have always believed that it was a one-of-a-kind place. Not everyone who visits Hoosick Falls can appreciate the things that make the town and its residents truly unique. If you recognize these 25 characteristics of HF, then it is a sure way to tell that you are a native.

1. Your graduating class had no more than 120 people in it and you can pretty much recall every classmate's name that you graduated with.

2. You give your town pet names like “Hooville.”

3. The employees at the pizza places know your name, your parents’ names, and your Friday night pizza order (shout out to John at Bianca’s).

4. Going to “the Dome” in Syracuse for the state’s high-school playoff football game is more important than your favorite NFL team going to the Superbowl.

5. An exciting weekend includes attending a high school sports game followed by a bonfire.

6. The Falls Diner is a staple in your diet (the omelettes are to die for).

7. You will never forget the names of all of your teachers you had K-12 because they were some of your greatest role models (and you are Facebook friends with half of them).

8. When someone passes away, the entire town grieves together. And when someone gets married, half of the town shows up.

9. “Home is where the heart is” is especially true when you grew up in Hoosick Falls.

10. It is routine to drive over half an hour to get to the closest mall/Chipotle/civilization.

11. You know firsthand that Stewart’s has the best ice-cream (Mint Cookie Crumble, Peanut-butter Pandemonium/ Death by Chocolate etc.).

12. When a new small business opens in town you hope and pray that it survives as if your own life depends on it.

13. Hangin’ at “the courts” is a right of passage in middle school.

14. Having your name in "The Eagle" for being on the honor roll, or merit list, or sports accomplishments etc. is equivalent to celebrity status and five people in town cut out the section so you can hang it on your refrigerator.

15. Bumping into at least ten people that you know every time you go to any of the 5 stores in town is a given.

16. Keeping in touch with good friends you graduated with is a must because nobody else in the entire world can understand the experiences you have gone through living in HF.

17. With these friends, you can recall the good ole days when cows on the playground prevented elementary students from having recess outside.

18. You are used to non-natives having no clue where Hoosick Falls is and it’s automatic to explain that “it is a small town an hour north of Albany and borders Bennington, VT” every time someone asks. Then they still look at you confused.

19. The St. Patrick’s Day parade is almost as important as Christmas because you recognize at least a quarter of the marchers.

20. The only recent claim to fame Hoosick Falls has is that the drinking water was contaminated with PFOAs (no worries, it is safe to drink now!)

21. Country Fest is the biggest event of the year where the majority of the town’s residents pack up their coolers, put on their cowboy hats, and head to the fairground to listen to hours of live country music with cold beverages in hand.

22. Tops Friendly Markets is the only grocery store in town, but people would rather drive 20 minutes away to the closest Hannaford to avoid the high prices of cereal. Speaking of Tops, if you are over 12-years-old, you probably remember when Tops was Grand Union.

23. Community Band concerts make for the most exciting nights during the summer.

24. The sense of pride residents have for the central school, the military, the country, and their small town is overwhelmingly one-of-a-kind.

25. You either love the tight-knit community of HF or you hate the intimacy.

But no matter how you feel about the place you grew up, you cannot deny the fact that you always have a place to call home in the tiny speck of a town.