Lawrenceburg, Indiana. It's a really interesting place to many people who visit, but those who grew up there consider it to be home. It's considered to be a suburb of Cincinnati, but a lot of people who are from out of state have no idea where it is or what some of its amazing attributes are. Growing up in Lawrenceburg is one thing, but knowing all the things that involve being a part of this complex community can be extremely confusing for those who haven't experienced them first hand.
1. When explaining to anyone out of state where you live, you just say Cincinnati.
Explaining to anyone that doesn't know where Lawrenceburg is, just saying Cincinnati is the easiest way for people to relate to where it is. Because not only is Lawrenceburg the weirdest town name, Cincinnati is an area where pretty much everyone knows where it is.
2. Your first date with anyone was probably going to the movie theater.
Let's just be honest, there isn't a lot to do in Lawrenceburg besides going to the movies or going skiing at Perfects in the winter. But when you're a teenager and can't possibly drive yet, the movie theater is the only place your parents would agree to drop you off. As embarrassing it is to have your parents drop you off on a first date, the awkwardness of the first date was so much worse.
3. The struggle of explaining to anyone out of state what Skyline is.
Going to college about 2 hours away has put this struggle into full effect for me. Casually talking about how much you miss Skyline always leads to the question of, "What's Skyline?" Yes, every time you hear this a part of you cries on the inside. Because you can't fathom how someone could ever grow up without the deliciousness of Skyline Chili.
4. Trying to explain to people that you are 5 minutes away from 3 different states.
I work in Kentucky and live in Indiana. My dad works in Ohio and lives in Indiana. Yea, explaining this to people isn't easy by any means. I go to work every day and talk to my coworkers and customers about the fact that I live in Indiana and I always get weird looks followed up by the question, "Why do you work here then? That's so far away." It's really not. But of course, people in Kentucky never go across the river to Indiana every day or visit very often. Therefore, to them going to Indiana is like traveling far away for a vacation.
5. Falling asleep every Saturday night to the sound of cars on the race track.
Most people can't go to sleep unless it is completely silent. But growing up in this extremely populated area, I can't go to sleep unless there's some sort of noise like traffic or cars going around on the race track. Every Saturday night, the Lawrenceburg Speedway has races. These races illuminate the night sky with their bright lights and create a constant hum of race car engines. Most people from out of this town don't particularly enjoy this noise, but growing up here as made me appreciate it.
