Adams county is nestled at the very edge of central Pennsylvania along the Maryland border, and is home to the world-famous town of Gettysburg. While Gettysburg may be the main reason why tourists come to this area, there are thousands of people who live around the county who all have lives and a interesting culture that typically doesn't always have to do with our heritage to the Civil War.

Adams county is a place like no other, and I mean that very honestly -- I've never found anywhere else like it. You definitely know that you're from Adams county if:

1. You have ever referred to home as "Gettysburg" so people know where you are talking about.

While there are many little towns surrounding Gettysburg, anyone from this area can tell you that if they've ever met people outside of home, they probably referred to "home" as Gettysburg. Frankly, it is just easier than to say you're from Biglerville or New Oxford or any other nearby town -- everyone knows where Gettysburg is, I hope.

2. You have been on the battlefields in Gettysburg so many times you've lost count.

Honestly, you can probably give a tour around the battlefields as well as, if not better than, an actual tour guide could. When there is not much else to do in Adams county besides explore Gettysburg or leave to go to neighboring towns Hanover, York, and Harrisburg, or cross over into Maryland, you have probably wasted hours walking around battlefields with your friends as an excuse for something to do.

3. After dark, you have probably gone ghost-hunting in Gettysburg at least once.

When the sun sets on Adams county and you, like most local teenagers, become bored, there is a very good chance that you end up "ghost-hunting" with your friends, and I don't mean overpaying for one of those useless "professional ghost tours"; I mean going out to places such as Sach's Bridge or Devil's Den at questionable hours to try and creep yourself out and hopefully see a ghost! Maybe this sounds boring to an outsider, but I have spent many nights trying to find ghosts in Gettysburg with my friends, and it is a blast.

4. You dread the tourists that summertime brings to Gettysburg, and unfortunately, the traffic that they bring with them.

Unknown to anyone who hasn't been there, but Gettysburg is kind of a small town, like really small. There's only a handful of main streets, and besides the town square and the streets surrounding it, there isn't much to the town of Gettysburg itself outside of the battlefields. So that, plus the presence of thousands of tourists in the summer (people go nuts over history), means that it's not uncommon for it to take you a half-hour to go a mile across town -- however, it is common to be extremely annoyed because of it!

5. You become enraged when someone does not know how to drive in a traffic circle.

Due to Adams county's Pennsylvania Dutch heritage, it isn't uncommon for a town to have a town square coupled with a traffic circle, such as in Gettysburg, New Oxford, or Abbotstown. So it naturally blows your mind when people drive in the traffic circles and have no clue what they are doing! The number of times I have almost been hit in a traffic circle by someone with a Maryland license plate completely astonishes me -- it is not that hard to drive in a traffic circle!

6. You have an extreme distaste for Maryland drivers.

Speaking of Maryland license plates, being as close to the Maryland border as we are, it is not uncommon to encounter Maryland drivers on a daily basis. And let me tell you -- Maryland drivers are something else! I'm not sure where the rivalry between PA and MD drivers started, but my allegiance sits with my people because Maryland drivers can't compare, no offense intended!

7. You don't find it weird to go into Maryland just to go right back to Pennsylvania, and vice versa.

Being so close to Maryland -- like literally 10 minutes close if you are in Gettysburg -- it isn't weird to casually drive to Baltimore or Towson for a day of shopping or exploring. Being within an hour's driving distance of so many Pennsylvania and Maryland cities allows for a pretty interesting blend of pop culture and variety that you aren't going to find in other places.

7. You have had to go to Hanover for literally any reason.

Strangely enough, Adams county doesn't really have any towns with with a strong base of shops or restaurants or a large business district, and we usually have to leave to go to Hanover in York county to get a lot of essentials that you can't easily find in Gettysburg. The Walmart in Gettysburg isn't even a Super Center -- tragic.

8. You know that we do not joke around when it comes to our apples.

In the upper part of Adams county, there are miles upon miles of apple orchards that grow some of the best apples in the world! Companies such as Mott's and Musselman's, which produce apple products such as apple juice and canned apples, own a lot of these orchards, but the local selection of apples is not a joke either. The apple harvest festival that is celebrated every year in upper Adams county is home to some of Pennsylvania's best apple-themed foods and attractions!

9. You know that the best chips are Utz, and the best pretzels are Snyders.

This area isn't just known for apples, but also for the massive amounts of snack foods produced nearby! While most of the snack food plants are in Hanover, chances are anyone from Adams county still is either related to, or knows someone who works at Utz, Snyders, or Frito-Lay. Snack foods are such a huge part of culture in this part of the state, and luckily it is what puts us on the map! Not to mention, the food is amazing!

10. You know that people do not mess around when it comes to their antiques.

Oddly enough, Adams county is home to many antique dealers that draw in a very interesting crowd of people looking to spend large amount of money on old antique collectibles of all kinds! New Oxford specifically is known for its antique dealers, and the culture that this provides has given a very unique old-fashioned charm that you just can't find elsewhere.

But above all else, we wouldn't want any other place to be home. It might seem strange and out of place to the outsider's eye, but that's what I think is the best part about this place, you just can't find anywhere else like Adams county.