If there is one thing that college has taught me, it is that we all come from different places and have had different experiences. And no matter how badly you want to leave home, a part of you will always miss the familiarity that stays in your hometown and with your family. For me, my heart lies in Colorado, where I was raised and where I return home to on breaks. Not only are my family and friends in Colorado but there are quite a few things that you just can't get anywhere else.

1. The Colorado Rockies.

Colorado's most significant and well-known quality are the Rocky Mountains! I knew when I moved to Kansas that there was going to be a hole in my heart and in the view without the mountains, but I truly didn't know just how lost I would be without them. I mean this figuratively, but I also mean it literally as I never know which direction I am facing in Kansas without the peaks to guide my way.

2. The culture and atmosphere of Denver.

Along with the amazing wilderness that Colorado has to offer comes the city of Denver. There is nothing quite like going to a concert downtown or walking down 16th Street Mall during the holidays to boost your spirits. Although sometimes it smells like weed and garbage, and you can never find parking, Denver has so many amazing things to offer and such rich culture and diversity.

3. The ridiculously tasty food.

Okay, y'all. My roommates understand my struggle because, Lord knows, I never shut up about it. Coloradoans have a tendency to smother everything in green chile. Our population is rich with Latin culture, which means we have tons of amazing Mexican food. We like it spicy and smothered, and that is something I have yet to find in Kansas.

4. Colfax Avenue

In Aurora, where I grew up, Colfax Avenue is the main hub of everything. It is the longest continuous street in the continental U.S., and Colfax houses a variety of businesses, cultures, restaurants, and concert venues. If you ever visit, drive down it with your windows up, even if it is hot out, and keep to yourself. But make sure to eat at Pete's Greek Town Café and catch a concert at The Bluebird. Oh, and grab a Voodoo Doughnut afterward!

5. Cannabis Culture

No one hates when people think that the only think in Colorado is weed more than I do. But the fact of the matter is, weed and its legalization are a big deal in Colorado. Our highways proudly display that they are funded through pot tax and dispensaries, our 420-mile markers were changed to 419.9 because people kept stealing them, and Denver's brown cloud has gotten a little greener. Colorado has so much more to offer than marijuana, but I'd be lying if I said it doesn't make Colorado unique.

6. Colorado Sports

I am crazy about sports teams, and I bleed orange and blue for my Broncos. I never imagined how much I would miss seeing Broncos jerseys in the grocery store, or striking up a conversation with a stranger about our hopes for the Rockies this year. There is nothing quite like seeing a sea of orange in Mile High Stadium (Sports Authority? Invesco?) or hearing my dad sing "My Girl" off-key at the top of his lungs to me in Coors Field.

7. The finicky weather.

Colorado's weather is as unpredictable as can be. I came home for SUMMER vacation two weeks ago to be greeted by a snow storm. Today, it is extremely windy with a chance of rain, and tomorrow blue skies and 85 degrees. If coming to Colorado on vacation, plan to pack for anything.

8. The high-altitude lifestyle.

Finally, there is one thing that Coloradoans know all too well that you just can't experience the same anywhere else, and that is altitude. The air is dry, it is hard to breathe, and your body is consistently working overtime in this altitude. Bring on the dry skin and the bloody noses, the dehydration, and the headaches. But in the end, you feel pretty awesome knowing that you grew up in a hardcore place like Colorado.