It came to my attention recently that 2016 is the first year in a long time that I will be traveling outside of the great state of Kansas for both spring break and during the summer. The more I think about my upcoming trips, the more the excitement builds. However, there is one part that I am dreading more and more as the days go on.

"Where are you from?"

That all too familiar question we get asked over and over again. Any time you go out of town, if someone so much as catches a whiff of something other than the city you're in, you better be prepared for what comes next.

For me, it's always been short and sweet: "Kansas." But, of course, it never stops there.

The question I always get is, "So, you live on a farm?"

No. I do not live on a farm. That's not how it works. I'm pretty sure I've never even been to a farm. Three fourths of the population lives in urban/suburban areas. I don't own cows, I down drive a tractor down the street. I go to the mall, I eat Chipotle, I probably couldn't grow a damn flower if you asked me to, let alone an entire field of crops.

I've never seen a tornado. And I've never hopped in the car to go chase one down. Contrary to beliefs, we go down into our basements, just like most people.

Also, Kansas is NOT part of the south. I can't believe this is actually a thing. It truly blows my mind that there is a group of people out there who think Kansas is a southern state. It's literally the middle of the continental United States. So no, I don't have an "accent," and I don't want to secede from the union again (looking at you, Texas.)

Most importantly, this beautiful place is by no means a "flyover state." You're talking about the home of the World Series champs (@Royals), the U.S. Open Cup champs (@SportingKC) and a playoff football team (@Chiefs). Oh yeah, it also hosts the BEST barbecue in the entire country, and has amazing roots in jazz.

All I'm saying is, I don't come to your state and call you names, or say you and everyone you know acts a certain way.

So please, when I answer "Kansas," just smile and leave it at that.