Connecticut is often considered a drive-by state. Unless you lived there, it's likely you've forgotten it's even a state at some point. True story, I had a girl once ask me what state Connecticut was in after I told her where I was from. Granted, I was in Tennessee at the time, but still! Anyway, Connecticut may be a mere speck on the map compared to other states, but there are definitely a few things that separate us Nutmeggers from the rest.
1. You're about as preppy as it gets.
There's something about growing up this close the city and the Hamptons that makes Connecticut kids extremely preppy. You definitely own at least one Lily dress and probably half a dozen step shirts from Vineyard Vines. Let's be honest, you basically live in your Sperrys, too.
2. At least one kid you know went to boarding school.
Connecticut is pretty much the hot spot for prep schools. Taft, Hotchkiss, Gunnery, Hopkins, Choate, Loomis, Miss Porter's, Kent, Suffield, Avon, Westminster, Pomfret, Salisbury, Ethel Walker, Cheshire, South Kent, Westover, Canterbury, Forman, all in Connecticut! For such a small state, we have a ridiculous number of boarding schools. Chances are, at least one of your friends ended up going to one.
3. The Huskies are your pride and joy.
Connecticut is tiny, so we're not known for much. However, we hold our own in basketball and you can bet we're going to tell you all about it. It doesn't matter if you're not a basketball fan or even if you don't understand the game. If you're from Connecticut, you're a Huskies fan.
4. The student parking lot at your school had cars worth more than the ones in the teacher's lot.
A lot of kids in Connecticut have wealthy parents that work in the city. Nothing reflects this more accurately than the high school parking lots. Never in your life will you see as many Range Rovers in one place as you will at your local high school. Especially if you lived in Fairfield County.
5. You can handle both extremes of the weather.
Connecticut weather is super temperamental. You've been through hurricane sandy and countless blizzards. Losing power for weeks each season is considered completely normal here. At this point, you're basically an expert at staying as cool as possible in 90 degree weather with insane humidity and staying as warm as possible when the temperatures are well below zero, even without wind chill.
6. You know good ice cream.
Real talk, Connecticut has the best ice cream around. Ferris Acres Creamery in Newtown is about as good as it gets. I challenge anyone to find a place that is better. There isn't one. The Creamery trumps Ben and Jerry's any day any time.
7. You've "hung out" in the most random places.
There's not exactly a lot to do in quaint Connecticut, so you had to get creative. In middle school, this meant the highlight of your week may very well have been walking downtown to sit in Dunkin' Donuts or the local grocery store for a few hours.
8. You don't call New York City "New York City."
It's simply the city. When you first leave Connecticut, it will mystify you that people don't immediately understand that when you say you're going to the city for the weekend, you mean New York City. It's not like Hartford, or any other city for that matter, deserves a term as exclusive as "the city." Obviously, you mean the all-important NYC.
9. Either you own a boat or someone you know does.
Summers are meant for lake days, and everyone knows it. You lived for throwing on your boat shoes or your flip flops and getting ready for a day on the lake with your friends. Chances are, a third of your summers were spent on the water.
