Growing up in Nebraska is a singular experience that has a lasting effect on you no matter how old you get or how long you’ve be been gone. If you grew up in the Cornhusker State, chances are that you’ve noticed these side effects.
- We’re forever hard workers.
flickr/RLEVANS That Nebraska work ethic really sticks with you. This is especially true if you grew up on a farm or ranch where you were expected to do chores every day.
- Once a Husker, always a Husker.
flickr/UNL Today Even if you move away and start rooting for your new home team, you’ll always secretly (or not so secretly) be loyal to your REAL home team. I know people who have worn a Huskers sweatshirt over their local team’s shirt just to be fair to both!
- We’ll always have a taste for Nebraska’s favorite foods.
flickr/Bradley Gordon Is Valentino’s the world’s best pizza? Sorry, but it’s really not. However, we’ll always love it, along with Goodrich ice cream, Runzas, Dorothy Lynch dressing, Wimmer’s Wieners…the list goes on and on.
- The scent of a farm will always make us nostalgic.
flickr/Bill Lollar People from non-agricultural states will think you’re super weird for this one, but the aromas of cows and freshly cut fields will always smell like home.
- We can drive in absolutely any weather.
flickr/Jan Kromer By the time we’re adults, Nebraskans have had to drive in rain, ice, sleet, hail, mud, blizzards, and every other condition. We laugh in the face of a couple of feet of snow.
- We’ll always be at least a little awed by mountains and oceans.
flickr/Stewart Baird When you spend the first part of your life so far away from both, they’ll always seem just a little exotic. The first time you’re visiting a mountainous state and see a huge peak just sticking up in the distance, it’ll feel like you’re on another planet.
- We’ll always know how to respond when someone sings “Oh, there is no place like Nebraska…”
flickr/Kiley We learn this song at a pretty young age, and it’s one of those things that never leaves you. You might even get a little tear in your eye if you’ve been away from home for a while.
- We’ll always be fascinated by storm clouds.
flickr/Rich And we can probably even tell you what kind of weather is on the way - and how severe it will be - just from looking skyward. In a state where weather can get really serious really quickly, we’ve had to hone this skill.
- We know better than to touch the seatbelt buckle with bare hands in the summer.
flickr/tyle_r Burn me once, shame on you. Burn me every summer day of my childhood and I’ll always remember to wrap a cloth around you to avoid singeing my fingers.
- Weather-wise, we’re ready for absolutely anything.
flickr/Brandon Atkinson We’ve learned the very important skill of layering our clothes so we can adjust throughout the day as necessary. And at times, we can go from a winter coat and hat in the morning to shorts in the afternoon.
- We’ll always be friendly.
flickr/H. KoPP This trait never fades no matter where we go or how long we’re gone. Smiling at strangers on the street, waving people in front of us in traffic, helping out wherever we’re needed - these are some of the true qualities of a born and bred Nebraskan.
What are some of your other Nebraska traits that will never wear off? Tell us all about them in the comments. Funny stories about your Nebraska side effects are welcome, of course!
flickr/RLEVANS
That Nebraska work ethic really sticks with you. This is especially true if you grew up on a farm or ranch where you were expected to do chores every day.
flickr/UNL Today
Even if you move away and start rooting for your new home team, you’ll always secretly (or not so secretly) be loyal to your REAL home team. I know people who have worn a Huskers sweatshirt over their local team’s shirt just to be fair to both!
flickr/Bradley Gordon
Is Valentino’s the world’s best pizza? Sorry, but it’s really not. However, we’ll always love it, along with Goodrich ice cream, Runzas, Dorothy Lynch dressing, Wimmer’s Wieners…the list goes on and on.
flickr/Bill Lollar
People from non-agricultural states will think you’re super weird for this one, but the aromas of cows and freshly cut fields will always smell like home.
flickr/Jan Kromer
By the time we’re adults, Nebraskans have had to drive in rain, ice, sleet, hail, mud, blizzards, and every other condition. We laugh in the face of a couple of feet of snow.
flickr/Stewart Baird
When you spend the first part of your life so far away from both, they’ll always seem just a little exotic. The first time you’re visiting a mountainous state and see a huge peak just sticking up in the distance, it’ll feel like you’re on another planet.
flickr/Kiley
We learn this song at a pretty young age, and it’s one of those things that never leaves you. You might even get a little tear in your eye if you’ve been away from home for a while.
flickr/Rich
And we can probably even tell you what kind of weather is on the way - and how severe it will be - just from looking skyward. In a state where weather can get really serious really quickly, we’ve had to hone this skill.
flickr/tyle_r
Burn me once, shame on you. Burn me every summer day of my childhood and I’ll always remember to wrap a cloth around you to avoid singeing my fingers.
flickr/Brandon Atkinson
We’ve learned the very important skill of layering our clothes so we can adjust throughout the day as necessary. And at times, we can go from a winter coat and hat in the morning to shorts in the afternoon.
flickr/H. KoPP
This trait never fades no matter where we go or how long we’re gone. Smiling at strangers on the street, waving people in front of us in traffic, helping out wherever we’re needed - these are some of the true qualities of a born and bred Nebraskan.
Go here for 15 reasons our hearts will always be in Nebraska, no matter where we are.
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