Recently on Twitter, it came to my attention that Pennsylvania had made it. As a state, they reached the highest honor possible and were trending on Twitter. As a Pennsylvanian, I was proud of us; however, I found the stated points to miss the bigger picture. The hashtag 'GrowingUpInPennsylvania' definitely explained a few key things that make Pennsylvania different than other states, (i.e. The Amish, car inspections, the groundhog, fries on salads), while pointing out some I felt were common things everywhere, (i.e. potholes), but as someone who spent their whole life in Pennsylvania and attends a university in Michigan, I felt there was a lack of importance on some aspects of PA.
For starters, I find myself explaining that we call it PA. Growing up in classes, we referred to Pennsylvania with its acronym PA, rather than it's full name. The first time I did it in Michigan, they stopped me, and I was thrown off. I have yet to meet someone who calls Michigan as MI or Illinois as IL.
Next up is the stress on liquor laws. I don't know every state's policy, but Pennsylvania has very strict liquor laws. The first time I went to a Walmart in Michigan and saw the alcohol aisles, I thought I had gone into the wrong store. Likewise, the first time someone said they were making a run to the 'party store' I assumed they were getting streamers or balloons. Vice versa explaining the difference between a liquor store and a beer distributor to an out of stater was foreign, they didn't get why it wasn't just put in one store.
Another stressed subject that wasn't conveyed enough is Sheetz vs. Wawa. A gas station debate separated by a vertical line down the center of the state. Eastern Pennsylvanians will swear by Wawa, while Westerners (myself included) know the true victor, Sheetz. I am biased for I have lived in PA, have frequented and have worked for Sheetz throughout my life. Explaining Sheetz is near impossible, it's a gas station, yes, but so much more, with made to order food and specialty beverages. Normally by this point out of staters hear 'gas station' and 'food' and immediately miss the point, it's good food; good enough to convince my Michigan friends to drive to Ohio to try it. If you are ever in the neighborhood, I recommend the mac and cheese.
It's also important that this that article gets feedback on if things really are Pennsylvania things, so feel free to correct me if something is more relatable in another state. This brings up the aspect of a cookie table. My mother mentioned that other states don't often present a cookie table at weddings which seems odd to me. If this is true, then let me explain: a cookie table is a table that's placed, normally along with, a wedding cake at receptions provided by the hosting family. This has been found as mainly a Southwestern Pennsylvania tradition but has been true for every wedding I have attended.
The final thing to keep in mind about Pennsylvania is how large the state is. It takes me the same amount of time to arrive at my university, two states away, as it does to drive across Pennsylvania. There is Pittsburgh and there is Philadelphia, with nothing except tiny counties in between. So, besides our odd quirks and rich cinema and sports history, Pennsylvania is above all diverse in regards to life experience. Mine differs from someone closer to our capital. They might support Wawa and the Phliers while I support the right things like Sheetz and Penguins.
My #GrowingUpInPennsylvania might be the same as someone else's #GrowingUpInCalifornia, but the incredible fact is that no matter where you are from, we can share these experiences with other people in an instant. The fact that enough people have experienced the same thing that it became a staple for a state is mind blowing. So how about you? What's something that's unique to your state? What's something that as a majority people can agree is an experience intricate to anywhere else?
