I'll start by saying that I have never worn a pair of cowboy boots. I have yet to learn the actual dance to Cotton-Eyed Joe, and I personally don't see the appeal in those giant belt buckles. While I have plenty of respect for those country boys and girls, I can't claim to be one. However, I still grew up surrounded by corn crop that rose high every summer and woods to drive four-wheelers through. I have my love for the city, and I might just end up living in one someday, but I have a lot of great things that I owe to growing up in the country (and I'm sure you do, too).

1. You know how to bait a hook.

2. Your ding-dong ditching skills are excellent.

3. You never shy away from jumping into any kind of water.

4. You've seen the beauty of raising farm animals.

5. You've been to the rodeo.

6. You can fake knowing most line dances.

7. You can build a fire.

8. You've ridden a mechanical bull.

9. You can handle any type of water sport that's thrown at you.

10. You can mow over seven acres of lawn in record time.

11. You've known the courtesy and good nature of people from the country.

12. You grew up with Grandma's cookin'.

13. Your ears can withstand a tractor pull.

14. You've built a float and rode it through the middle of town.

15. You know that the best corn comes from the people selling it on the side of the road.

16. You've raced your fair share of four-wheelers.

17. You've sped down an old dirt road with your windows down, blaring Travis Tritt.

18. You were baptized in the actual river down the street from your church.

19. You spent most of your summers at the county fair, where you all knew one another in some way.

20. You've seen an entire town come together to help just one family.

21. You never had to think twice about riding your bike on the road.

22. There was never a lost dog because everyone knew which one belonged to which family.

23. You've slept under a sky filled with stars.

24. You've felt the dirt between my toes.

25. You've learned that the simplest things in life are often the most beautiful.

There isn't anything wrong with the city life, but there are many things right with life in the country. After countless s'mores, tree houses and games of flashlight tag, I can honestly say that I wouldn't trade where I was raised. Not only did I grow up in a place filled with love and acceptance, it was also a place where a kid could run free and live out their wildest imaginations. It was where the woods behind your house could be a jungle and a pond could be the ocean. It was a magical place that I will always love and always be thankful to have known so well.