If you grew up in upstate New York like me, you probably know that the Empire State has its pros and cons. You also know that if anyone not from New York mentions the cons, you will defend yourself and your state loudly. Overall, upstate New York is a pretty nice place to grow up in.

1. When you tell people you’re from New York, you have to quickly follow-up with “upstate, not the city” because everyone assumes the only part of New York people inhabit is the city.

2. People hear “upstate” and assume you live on a farm.

3. When you try to describe where you live by giving the nearest big city people just stare at you blankly.

Albany is the capitalpeople.

4. People assume that if they know about something in New York, it’s probably near you.

Albany is not near Buffalo. Or Canada.

5. You probably knew people in high school who did “tractor races.”

6. Half the people in your high school couldn’t wait to leave your small town, the other half wanted to stay for the rest of their lives.

Or move to a neighboring, similar small town.

7. Everyone got their license as early as possible because nothing was close enough to walk to.

8. And by senior year of high school, everyone would swing their keys around on a lanyard with their college name on it.

But you didn’t put the lanyard around your neck, that just looked dumb.

9. You’re pretty much obligated to hate people from Long Island, Westchester, and New Jersey.

You were never given a good reason for it, but you know you’re supposed to.

10. Your out-of-state friends have no idea what’s happening when you talk about the SUNY schools.

Judging people based on their SUNY is something you can only do with fellow New Yorkers.

11. In the winter, you would pray that the mountain(s) in your school would get snow because that was the only way you were getting a snow day.

And you would loudly complain about not living in the south where half an inch of snow gives people a snow day.

12. But no other state had better fall foliage.

Seriously though I will fight you on this one.

13. And apple-picking in New York is one of the best times of the year.

The insta photos are gold.

14. If you go to college out of state, you probably miss having decent bagels and pizza.

You don’t know what you got til it’s gone.