Driving through flat land with no hills, mountains or trees for miles at a time is fascinating to me. As someone who has lived her whole life immersed in the scenery of the Mountain State, whenever I travel outside of West Virginia, I can immediately feel a difference across state borders.

My brother graduated from college a year ago and now lives in Ohio; each time my family and I go visit him I feel a little uneasy. I suppose that uncomfortable feeling stems from missing the mountains of my home state. Don't get me wrong, Ohio possesses some of the most beautiful country in America, and the whole three-hour drive from my humble rural home to my brother's suburban apartment is nice, but there are hardly any similarities between his state and mine. On the way to visit him, my parents and I drive through more flat land than exists in WV.

I know moving away from West Virginia to start a new life with more opportunities is what my brother has chosen and thinks is best for him and his career, but I don't think it's the life for me. I need the mountains. I love the feeling of driving through curvy country roads to get home (isn't there a song about that?). And I firmly believe there are no better places to hike than can be found in WV, especially including the New River Gorge area.

The mountains are a comfort to me. I love the peacefulness that comes upon me when I find myself wandering through beautiful, lush forests or romping in rivers and streams. I love seeing deer, chipmunks and rabbits bounding along in the woods. Yes, I know there are places in Ohio, Kentucky and even Tennessee that have similar forests and natural attractions, but there is a special feeling with those found in West Virginia. I can spend days exploring West Virginia, no matter where in the state, and feel content, but take me out of the Mountain State and I feel homesick pretty quick.

Another thing I have noticed through my many trips to Ohio is that the people there just can't rival those native to West Virginia. I know I'm generalizing here, forgive me, but many in Ohio seem snotty and rude. And they can be unappreciative of the beauty of their state. Whereas in WV, everyone carries a special love of our state within their hearts, and no matter the shape of the rest of our state, we can all be proud of our nature,, parks and wildlife. I know I am.

Beauty can be found anywhere, but the beauty of West Virginia sure is something special.