Most of us would probably agree that nothing quite compares to living in Pennsylvania. Gorgeous landscape – from rolling hills to lush farmland – awaits us just about everywhere we go. We’ve got some of the best restaurants, museums, small towns, and big cities anywhere. Life here is pretty awesome. However, when people first arrive, whether as visitors or as new residents, there are a few things we really should tell them about living in Pennsylvania.
- You’ve got to take a side – Wawa or Sheetz?
Flickr/William F. Yurasko Every Pennsylvanian takes a side when it comes to Wawa or Sheetz. Both are convenience stores that sell delicious food and a little bit of everything. You might want to try both before you declare your allegiance to either side.
- Soda or pop?
Flickr/Rene Schwietzke Depending on where in the state you travel, you’ll hear people say soda or pop. Either way, they both mean Coke, Pepsi, and other soft drinks. What do you think – is it soda or pop?
- Pittsburgh or Philadelphia sports teams?
Flickr/jcsullivan24 Pittsburgh and Philadelphia have a notorious rivalry – the Pirates versus the Phillies; the Eagles versus the Steelers; and the Flyers against the Penguins. Which side are you on? (During the off-season, if our team doesn’t make it, we’ll usually root for the other PA team still in the game.)
- We get our spring weather forecast from a groundhog.
Flickr/Penn State We’ve got our cute little Punxsutawney Phil, and we love him. Sure, some threaten him after he predicts six more weeks of winter, but he’s a cute little fella who most of us love - or at least tolerate.
- But it really doesn’t matter, because we often have all four seasons in a single day.
Flickr/joiseyshowaa Don’t count on Phil for an accurate forecast. Our weather is so goofy that we can experience all four seasons in one day.
- We wear shorts with sweatshirts in the dead of winter.
Flickr/Lisa Moffatt Pennsylvanians are all about shorts and sweatshirts. The brave among us will even wear flip-flops in freezing temperatures. Don’t knock it until you try it.
- We race lawnmowers…
Flickr/Chris Riebschlager Pennsylvania offers a ton of wholesome entertainment, from guided tours of museums to concerts. Sometimes, however, we just want to enjoy some old-fashioned fun like racing lawnmowers.
- …Outhouses (sometimes)…
Flickr/Lisa Cericola Oh, and sometimes we even design and race outhouses, especially if we live in Dushore. (If you’re not participating, you definitely don’t want to forget your camera for this one.)
- …and wiener dogs.
Flickr/Erik Drost Everyone loves dachshunds with their hot dog-shaped bodies, stubby little legs, and fierce personalities. There may be nothing cuter, in fact, than watching a bunch of ‘em race with their floppy ears flapping in the wind.
- We’re all about snacks and…
Flickr/Chung Hung Eric Cheng You won’t find better snacks anywhere, even if you try. Pennsylvania’s called the Snack Capital of the U.S. for a reason - well, quite a few reasons. Hershey. Utz. Peeps. Herr’s. The list goes on…
- Cheesesteaks.
Flickr/karmacamilleeon Philadelphia gave the world the cheesesteak sandwich, and most of us love them. You can find some darn fine cheesesteaks in PA, but you definitely want to head to Philly for some of the best.
- We just say PA.
Flickr/Michael Femia Why waste all of that energy saying Pennsylvania when we can just say PA? Who knows why Pennsylvanians started that tradition, but it’s what we do. (It’s kind of endearing too, don’t you think?)
- We can’t imagine living anywhere else.
Flickr/James Loesch Well, this sure isn’t quirky or unusual, but it deserves to be said. PA and those who live here are pretty amazing. Why would we want to live anywhere else?
What are some quirky or unusual things about living in Pennsylvania you want others to know? Join the conversation in the comments! Then see if you agree that these are just 10 reasons living in Pennsylvania spoils you for life.
Flickr/William F. Yurasko
Every Pennsylvanian takes a side when it comes to Wawa or Sheetz. Both are convenience stores that sell delicious food and a little bit of everything. You might want to try both before you declare your allegiance to either side.
Flickr/Rene Schwietzke
Depending on where in the state you travel, you’ll hear people say soda or pop. Either way, they both mean Coke, Pepsi, and other soft drinks. What do you think – is it soda or pop?
Flickr/jcsullivan24
Pittsburgh and Philadelphia have a notorious rivalry – the Pirates versus the Phillies; the Eagles versus the Steelers; and the Flyers against the Penguins. Which side are you on? (During the off-season, if our team doesn’t make it, we’ll usually root for the other PA team still in the game.)
Flickr/Penn State
We’ve got our cute little Punxsutawney Phil, and we love him. Sure, some threaten him after he predicts six more weeks of winter, but he’s a cute little fella who most of us love - or at least tolerate.
Flickr/joiseyshowaa
Don’t count on Phil for an accurate forecast. Our weather is so goofy that we can experience all four seasons in one day.
Flickr/Lisa Moffatt
Pennsylvanians are all about shorts and sweatshirts. The brave among us will even wear flip-flops in freezing temperatures. Don’t knock it until you try it.
Flickr/Chris Riebschlager
Pennsylvania offers a ton of wholesome entertainment, from guided tours of museums to concerts. Sometimes, however, we just want to enjoy some old-fashioned fun like racing lawnmowers.
Flickr/Lisa Cericola
Oh, and sometimes we even design and race outhouses, especially if we live in Dushore. (If you’re not participating, you definitely don’t want to forget your camera for this one.)
Flickr/Erik Drost
Everyone loves dachshunds with their hot dog-shaped bodies, stubby little legs, and fierce personalities. There may be nothing cuter, in fact, than watching a bunch of ‘em race with their floppy ears flapping in the wind.
Flickr/Chung Hung Eric Cheng
You won’t find better snacks anywhere, even if you try. Pennsylvania’s called the Snack Capital of the U.S. for a reason - well, quite a few reasons. Hershey. Utz. Peeps. Herr’s. The list goes on…
Flickr/karmacamilleeon
Philadelphia gave the world the cheesesteak sandwich, and most of us love them. You can find some darn fine cheesesteaks in PA, but you definitely want to head to Philly for some of the best.
Flickr/Michael Femia
Why waste all of that energy saying Pennsylvania when we can just say PA? Who knows why Pennsylvanians started that tradition, but it’s what we do. (It’s kind of endearing too, don’t you think?)
Flickr/James Loesch
Well, this sure isn’t quirky or unusual, but it deserves to be said. PA and those who live here are pretty amazing. Why would we want to live anywhere else?
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