So American peeps - which state are you from and what do you

Melmade

Brooklyn, NY--I'm currently staying at home with our 9 month old son & yellow lab while hubby works in the special effects business. Taking a break from waiting tables & college--3 classes away from a BA in Geography. Brooklyn is diverse--we live between Mexico, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Poland--all within a 10 minute walk. I really miss nature and ease of life found in other places. NYC will eat you up if you're not the type to devour or enjoy a city. Parking and traffic sucks.

Birmingham, Alabama--I lived here for 15 years. The upsides are--lots of beautiful lakes and rivers, hiking, natural parks, caves (hence spelunking!), gorgeous trees, interesting people and culture. Downside--racism, humidity, poor air quality, not bike friendly. I built high-end custom cabinetry and furniture. Believe it or not, NYC is much more sexist in this arena than Alabama ever was.

Kodiak, Alaska--I was born here--and lived here until age 18. BEAUTIFUL! (Boring if you're a teenager unless you just love the outdoors--which I did.) Very quiet, always looks like a postcard. Lots of hiking, biking, boating, snowmobiling, fishing, hunting, mountain climbing. It's a fishing town and you're landlocked. 52 miles of paved road in total--only 2 traffic lights, and at that, only 1 of them worked. I was bored. We only had 1 high school and had to fly out to other schools for swim meets. So many pot holes in the roads that people joked that the only people to drive straight down a road were the drunk drivers. The rate of alcoholism is highest in AK--probably due in part to the lack of sun in the winter months. The 4 seasons there are: Winter, Winter, Winter, and Summer. Lots of beautiful beaches and kayaking. Everywhere smells like "bio-dry" (fish emulsion from canneries used for fertilizer), which rhymes with "M-O-N-E-Y". The one theater and one library always smell like fish because those are the places fishermen hang out while their boats are docked--not much else to do. The number of bars usually equals the number of churches. Lots of Russian Orthodox there. Everything is really expensive since it's a remote island, beyond just being remote because of it's being in AK.

foodlovermary

Hi all, I'm from Wisconsin!!! Go Pack Go! However, I have been living in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam for over 5 years. Being a cheese head who is used to 4 seasons in WI and coming here where there are only 2 seasons was and is a challenge. Our 2 seasons are HOT and rainy or HOT and dry. Notice the key word...HOT. Makes it difficult to do outside sports type exercise except in the early morning or late night hours. Swimming is ok in the heat if the pool is shaded. Hardest thing here is that I live amongst people who are naturally very slim. Low calorie foods like skim milk and low calorie salad dressings are not available. However, there are many great tropical fruits and vegetables here. I will be going back to WI for a visit March of 2012 for about 3 months and hope that I will be slightly smaller by then! When I arrive in early March I will get to experience snow again I'm sure! But if we have an early spring it will be ok too as the cold is hard on this old women! Keep up the hard work! I hope to be joining some of you big losers soon! So far down 6#'s.

LauraMacNCheese

Reno, NV here...we're less than an hour from Lake Tahoe, which is easily some of the most beautiful country in the States. Reno itself is in the high desert in a bowl surrounded by the Sierra Nevada mountain range; so we don't really get the extreme heat like down in Vegas. We get all 4 seasons & occassionally get dumped on with snow in the winter. It's pretty cool out here; but I'm originally from PA & miss my home state quite a bit sometimes.

JamesonsMommy

Hello.. I am from Pittsburgh, PA. Work in billing at for local municipal sewage plant. Yep.. **** is my life...lol. Alittle about Pittsburgh... well Winters are long / cold / snowy / icy.. miserable. The only good thing about winter is football.. and that is why I love Pittsburgh.. GO STEELERS !!!! Black and Gold .. All The Way !!!! :happy:

GO STEELERS!!!

CharlieBarleyMom

Pennsylvania - been here for about 16 years now - originally from Northern New Jersey. New Jersey and Pennsylvania are right next to each other but worlds apart. Not in weather, weather is generally the same. But PA is more rural (the state is like 4 times the size as NJ so that makes it easier to be more expansive in rural areas) and it seemed to me when I moved out here that PA wasn't quite up to the same century as NJ. When I lived in NJ I was 30 minutes from New York City and that is a major metropolitan area. Where I live here is not metropolitan. It seemed backwoods to me, I suppose. I made fun of the way of life and the lack of sophistication... but I bought a house here, I live here, I love it here, museums and art galleries and other "metropolitan" staples are all within a short drive. I like the fact that I don't feel pressured to be "dressed to the 9s" every time I walk out the door. NJ was horrible for that. I am more of a country girl -- I actually like driving through farmland to get to work -- and yes, I actually like the smell of farms -- manure and all!

I work for the PA Judiciary in their Network Operation Center - making sure that all court and magesterial distriction Justices are connected through the Network throughout the state to reach our center in Mechanicsburg (just across the river from Harrisburg!)

wannabesexymama

Alabama Girl! working on being the Bell at my own Ball Greetings Y'all!!!

hanna1210

^ you are officially a Hoosier. If you live in Indiana.... you are a Hoosier (and usually won't wave thank you at people for letting you get in front of them :grumble: ) jk
...
::breaks out in singing the song My Old Kentucky Home::

:laugh: Ha ha ha! Those guys make the rest of us look like such jerks. Maybe my three years actually living in the 'Ville taught me better. I always wave, especially around those evil bridges. Seriously, what are people (on both sides) thinking?

And I assume you stand while singing My Old Kentucky Home? I might be a Hoosier by birth, but there are a few things my Louisvillian mother makes sure I know: stand during the state song, bet on the greys, pumpkin pie should always have bourbon in it, and don't drink the cheap stuff

bregalad5

Of course, now I live in South Carolina, but I'm a northern girl at heart. ^_^ And I miss Timmy Hoho quite a bit sometimes.

Timmy Hos! I grew up between Buffalo and Rochester, NY but now live in Virginia. I've also lived in Connecticut and Masschusetts. When I say I'm from NY, I like to clarify by saying, "the part of NY that's closer to Toronto than NYC" :laugh:

Where I'm from in NY is farmland. My town is the second largest in my county... with 6,500 residents, the largest has around 7,500 :laugh: We're also smack dab in the middle of the "snow belt" which is a beltway of Lake-Effect Snow ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake-effect_snow ), so it can get really, REALLY nasty in the winter. Summers are nice and mild, but quite humid, due to Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. I remember driving home from college (in what's called the Southern-tier - basically the foothills on the PA boarder - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Tier ) one time and hit every season on the way: for one stretch it was sunny, another it was raining, another it was hailing and another it was a complete white-out, where I was literally driving 1mph trying to not freak out. Ahh those were the days.

Mad_Dog_Muscle

Originally from Texas, but live in Georgia now... have also lived in Colorado and Hawaii...... And London..... And Russia.... so I guess that makes me a mutt!

FearAnLoathing

Im from TX lots of churchs,bbq,crazy thunderstorms and tornados

iysys

but there are a few things my Louisvillian mother makes sure I know: stand during the state song, bet on the greys, pumpkin pie should always have bourbon in it, and don't drink the cheap stuff

momma sounds like a smart smart lady!

zoe4friends

I am not American, but international student here in US. And currently going to college in Raleigh, NC

Apryl546

Minnesota here. Such a gorgeous state.
I work from home and I am a Data Entry Operator.

Namaste1983

I'M FROM AZ. I LIVE IN NEW RIVER. SMALL TOWN WITH LOTS OF SPACE AND NO STREETLIGHTS WHICH MAKES FOR GREAT STARGAZING. IT'S QUIET AND COOLER THAN PHOENIX BY 10 DEGREES USUALLY. I LOVE AZ

LoserMom_3

I'm in florida, and it's HOT from March - November. We get tons of nasty storms during the summer and none in the winter. If the temp drops to 40 we have a "chill advisory" and it cracks me up On the plus, I do live on the coast , close to the cape... or kennedy space center ... (in fact ,taking the kids this weekend). Im also only about an hour from disney, universal, sea world.. etc! and 15 min from the beach. but... it's HOT .. oh, I said that already?
Oh, and I work in healthcare, records management.

SarabellPlus3

Nebraska - surely I can't be the only person from the Cornhusker State on MFP?!?! I am from the central part of the state, which is the heart of farming and ranching country. According to some, we are all rednecks and hillbillies (or something like that) but mostly we live and let live....and provide food to all those living in the cities around the world. I am a grant writer for a community college.

I have lived in Omaha, NE, Denver and Kansas City, but chose to move back to rural Nebraska to raise my children. The downside is that we do not have all the cultural offerings that a large city provides, but we are just a few hours from Omaha, Denver and KC, if we want to access those things. Another con is that you do have to like to drive because it is a long ways to everywhere. Granted my commutes to work in KC and Denver were just as long timewise, but less than half the distance. I currently have a 35 mile drive to work that takes me about 40 minutes - and only one stop light to impede my progress.

The pros are probably too numerous to mention. I love the rural lifestyle. I am able to have an affordable small acreage where I keep horses and grow a garden every summer. I know all of my neighbors, even though the nearest is about a mile away. And yes, they do know most of my 'business' and I know their;s, but I really don't mind....to me that only means that I don't have to call when I need something, they just show up. The weather can be extreme sometimes, but we also get a lot of pleasant days, just like most places I would guess.

And of course the biggest benefit - Cornhusker football - it's not a sport in this state, its a religion (and I am not even a sports fan, really)

I'm also a Cornhusker! Another Nebraska poster here. Like you, I love this state. Nebraska (NE) is in the center of the country, in an area people who haven't experienced enough to know what to appreciate call "flyover states." LOL I am in Omaha, which is the biggest city in Nebraska, and on the far East side of the state, situated next to the Mo. river.

I love it here. We are consistently ranked pretty highly on those "Best City to Live in" type of polls you see, and I think that's very fair. It's a great place to raise a family. People are very kind, and it's easy to feel safe here. Little things and big, from people holding doors and saying hello, to people returning lost items (I can't tell you how many times I've left my purse or wallet somewhere, and someone has ALWAYS turned it in to the lost and founds, EVERYWHERE here. I could never live in a bigger city where I couldn't trust that).
People are conservative at large (both capital and lower-case "c" implied), but I haven't found us to be close-minded.

We have nice green space (at least where I live), I never go a day without seeing turkey, deer, cornfields, etc, but I also have good restaraunts, great live theatre, art museum, and plenty of big-city options like that. We also have really great schools, which get rated consistently high.
We also have all 4 seasons, which I simply wouldn't want to live without. Right now, Fall, leaves are just begining to start to turn, there's a chill in the air, it will be in the 60s today, it's just perfect. But Summer held it's share of 90-110* days at the pool. Before long, Winter will be here,and we'll get enough snow and blizzards to get sick of them-- I appreciate that in a way a lot of people don't. LOL I love watching snow, and I don't even mind driving in it; though we're spent with the snow by Spring, and Spring's arrival feels so glorious for it!

I love it here! I love to visit other areas of the country, but feel so lucky to have been raised here, and to be raising my kids here.

emd0019

:laugh: Ha ha ha! Those guys make the rest of us look like such jerks. Maybe my three years actually living in the 'Ville taught me better. I always wave, especially around those evil bridges. Seriously, what are people (on both sides) thinking?

And I assume you stand while singing My Old Kentucky Home? I might be a Hoosier by birth, but there are a few things my Louisvillian mother makes sure I know: stand during the state song, bet on the greys, pumpkin pie should always have bourbon in it, and don't drink the cheap stuff

No joke! I am so glad I don't have to deal with the bridges hardly ever.
You know what..... you actually sound alright, you might be an acceptable hoosier...(and that is VERY RARE)
Of course I only sing the state song a few times a year and I stand every time. It's just as important as the National Anthem! KY PRIDE!
Always bet on the greys, it's usually a waste of money but you ALWAYS do it anyway. Even just $2 to win, it's a must.
We make Derby Pie in my family. I haven't actually made pumpkin pie.

_Ben

Michigander here. Im a full time college student, and part-time dj and pharmacy tech

PlumLovin

True Alabama Girl!! It's not called "Alabama The Beautiful" for nothing! We have beautiful woodlands, white beaches and colorful fall mountains. The humidity is tough on some but if you live here long enough you get used to it. The whole state practically shuts down at the mere mention of snow but the kids love it because that usually means no school! I live in a small town that some might compare to Mayberry from the Andy Griffin Show. It has a "Main Street" with a courthouse in the middle of town and a drug store with a snack bar offering the best homemade milkshakes you have ever tasted. It is a close knit community where kids can be kids and I don't think I would want to live anywhere else.

Alabama residents are obsessed with football. We are divided by University of Alabama fans or Auburn University fans. Makes for a fun fall as long as you keep it all in good fun! As a University of Alabama Fan we say "Roll Tide"!!!! Alabamians also like to go to church. It is a family thing, if you are not there on a Sunday, everyone will be calling to check up on you. They will take care of you in your time of need through tragedy or just small bumps in the road. I had surgery in June & was down for a few weeks, I still have frozen food in my freezer from my church family!!

I have to say that I think the state has come a long way on the racism front and I wish people would visit the state before they automatically think we are a bunch of dumb hicks that hate someone for the color of their skin. It is not the case at all!!

If you ever visit and someone says "Bless your heart" just know, it is not a compliment, it's the #1 southern insult. We can't be harsh even when we try!! haha

I have been a stay at home mom for 10 years, before that I was a buyer for a major healthcare company.
Hope I gave you a little better view of Alabama!

ABetterBalance

If you ever visit and someone says "Bless your heart" just know, it is not a compliment, it's the #1 southern insult. We can't be harsh even when we try!! haha

"Awww, bless your heart" gets used in MS, too. :laugh: Although, I never saw it as out right insulting, more patronizing than anything else. I still hate it, though!

I think my main issue with living in the south is that I may have been raised in the South, but I wasn't raised by Southern parents. My dad was a Navy brat who just stayed in MS when it was time to go to college, and my mother was raised in NJ by Scottish immigrants- she also traveled to MS for school.

Most of the people around me have these deep family roots, Southern baptist beliefs, and old southern recipes, sayings, and mannerisms. I stick out like a sore thumb, and no one believes me when I tell them I grew up in MS. I've even been told "you don't sound right", since my accent is apparently not thick enough! :bigsmile: