Country music is one of those things that America definitely has dibs on. Not that it’s something other countries are interested in claiming as their own (“hate” usually isn’t a strong enough word for people outside of the U.S and especially in Europe). But really that’s okay, because the best word to describe country music is “American.”

While the majority of country music is about drinking beer and impressing girls in daisy dukes (which certainly resonates with parts of American culture) country music just sort of has this uncanny ability to make you feel free, and that’s the part of country music that I love.

There’s nothing quite like driving down a back country road, windows down, smell of summer in the air and the sound of country music filling your ears. Sometimes I have to laugh at myself because I find myself smiling for no apparent reason other than the fact that I feel good. Actually, I feel exactly like the Thomas Rhett song “I Feel Good.” Carefree. Free.

Other times, country music makes me feel stupidly optimistic. Maybe I just met someone really cute and then I hear a song about two people falling in love under the stars as the crickets chirp around them and I get to thinking maybe life can be like it is in songs.

I don’t always mind the moments like that because I think everyone needs some uplifting every now and then.

But when country music isn't making me smile, it's usually making me cry. There’s nothing more to it. It doesn’t make me angry, it doesn’t annoy me, it just makes me cry.

Granted, most of the time it has to be a sad song for me to cry. Not always, just most of the time. I won’t necessarily cry listening to “Buy Me a Boat,” but “Cop Car” is a different story.

My earliest memories of country music are playing in the living room with my cousin/babysitter Jessica, as she put CMT on the television.

I don’t remember a lot of the songs that came on then, but a few of them made good impressions.

“Suds in the Bucket” forever became my jam from those days on and I lived my life trying to be the girl who wasn’t afraid to get up and go to follow her heart.

I also learned to appreciate the message behind songs like “Whiskey Lullaby” and “Concrete Angel.” (Side note, if you haven’t listened to these or watched the music videos please do so immediately. Disclosure: have tissues at the ready).

Anyway, back to the crying part.

I’m not sure if it’s the sound of guitar strings that pull at your heartstrings or something, but sometimes I can’t stop the tears. Really, I can’t.

Even if the song isn’t necessarily sad, it just gets me thinking. Country music also just gets me feeling. And with feels sometimes comes tears.

I think country music artists also tend to have not only a way with words, but a way of expressing those words that really hit deep.

Thus, the reason I have a love-hate relationship with country music. I love it because of the way it makes me feel, but that’s also why I hate it.

I try to avoid listening to the country stations on the radio, and instead opt for a tailored Spotify playlist of my favorite songs, albums and artists. This ensures that I most likely won’t be crying, but I also never know when a song I’ve been listening to for years will strike a new chord and make me bawl my eyes out.

Needless to say, being a country music fan can be a roller coaster of emotions and quite an adventure, for me at least.