I've lived in Alabama my entire life, but there are still places and things I never knew about this state shown to me every day.

That being said, for the out-of-state student who hasn't given this fair state a chance, I have a few places you can start your exploring (and hopefully appreciation building).

My first recommendation will always be to visit our beaches. My favorite beaches are in Gulf Shores, where you can spend the day on white sand beaches and then go to one of my favorite places in the world: The Hangout. This is the place where my love of live music began, and my obsession with The Velcro Pygmies bloomed.

Another beach I recommend visiting, partly because I have sweet childhood memories there, is the beaches at Dauphin Island. This area is a lot quieter, and secluded from a lot of the real tourist trap stuff. You get an authentic beach experience here, as well as a visit to a sulfur pit or two, if you're into that kind of stuff. The Dauphin Island Sea Lab is one of the coolest places to visit, if you're in the mood to learn a little when you're on your vacation, but it's where I first tried calamari from the squid I'd just dissected, so I guess that's pretty cool.

If you haven't made time to make it to any of our bigger cities, like Birmingham or Montgomery, make time to go! If you're from a big city, I understand that there's little excitement in this. Our big cities make "real" big cities laugh. But what's unique about our cities is the history behind them. Did you know Martin Luther King Jr. lead a march around Birmingham? And that that march intensified the entire civil rights movement? This city was a huge part of our country's progression. Birmingham's also famous for this really cool sign, so make sure you get an Instagram pic to post with it! And while you're in our bigger cities, stop in local stores and coffee shops. You never know what could surprise you.

Finally, I have to make a case for my hometown, Huntsville. We have more than a big rocket. There's outdoor malls, and beautiful scenery every where. And for any engineering majors out there, Huntsville is HUGE for your field. Huntsville offers many unique experiences. My favorite tex-mex restaurant, Little Rosie's, is situated in downtown Huntsville, as well as the Huntsville Museum of Art, which offers a seasonal outdoor ice skating rink (*hint hint* it's very romantic). The spot I always visit on my trips home though is Lowe Mill. Where else are you going to find a factory turned art and culture hot spot? I stop and get my tea at Piper & Leaf, then walk around checking out all of the cool things artist have made while I was gone. And did I mention they have outdoor concerts? Awesome, right?

So there's my not-so extensive list of places you should go... I could go on, but I think what I love most is the fact that I discovered many of these places just by exploring where I was living. So you should too. Take a weekend road trip, out-of-state student, and enjoy.