HoCo, Howard County Maryland, is a county of roughly 300,000 residents in central Maryland. Howard County is known for it's agriculture, nationally accredited public school system, and diverse residents. Home to Woodstock and my childhood home, HoCo holds many fond memories in my heart. Within an hours drive, you have the mountains of Hagerstown, the scenic and historic town of Annapolis on the Chesapeake Bay, and the lively downtown inner harbor of Baltimore. Tailgates and Ravens games are regular occurrences, and $7 student tickets every Friday at Camden Yards are a must (even when the O's go into 18 innings). This being said, there are lots of reasons to love HoCo, and even more reasons to miss it once you've moved away. Going to an out of state college has shown me seven important things I miss about home sweet Hoco.

1. The Columbia Mall

The Mall in Columbia: from ~crazy~ middle school Friday nights, to prom dress season, and everything in between, the Columbia Mall was the sight of many weekends from middle school to my freshman year of college. With stores, restaurants, and even AMC theaters the mall is a hotspot for families and teens all over Maryland. Can't forget the beloved L.L.Bean and fountains that served as the best playground around for kids of all ages.

2. Larriland Farms

Larriland farms was the all-you-can-eat fruit playground of my childhood. From apples in the fall, to peaches and strawberries in the summer, this pick-your-own family owned farm is a HoCo classic. Chilly fall weekends at Larriland consisted of apple picking and hayrides, fueled by apple cider sugar rushes guaranteed to make the short car ride home nap time for everyone.

3. The Snowball Stand

Anyone who's ever been to Woodstock knows that the Snowball Stand is by far the best place to get dessert in the summer. There is nothing better than walking past the Waverly pond up to the Snowball Stand on a cool summer night. This is also probably the only place where eating melty marshmallow fluff on top of sugary flavored ice is not only accepted, but encouraged.

4. Double T Diner

Another HoCo food classic is the Double T Diner, a Maryland chain of 50's style diners. Open 18 hours a day, Double T is the move on Sunday mornings or late night breakfasts. And everyone from HoCo knows you never order anything except breakfast food off the menu....never.

5. Merriweather Post Pavilion

A huge right of passage for every HoCo teen is their first Merriweather concert. From ratchet Riff Raff concerts, to day long music festivals, and classic country summer nights Merriweather's got it all. Anyone who's anyone has been to their fair share of shows at Merriweather, and those of us lucky enough to go to a HoCo high school have even graduated there. Walking across the same stage as Kendrick Lamar is pretty cool I guess.

6. Soft Stuff

A close second to the Snowball Stand, the original Soft Stuff was THE place to be every summer. Driving down Route 40 seeing masses of people lined up on the wooden boardwalk of Soft Stuff was a regular sight in the summer. And everyone from HoCo remembers that horrendous day when construction trucks tore down the wooden shack and removed the sign, only to rebuild a more modern (and significantly less cool) Soft Stuff right behind it a couple of years later. Totally not the same.

7. Henryton Asylum

Just down Henryton road, across a river and some train tracks lies Henryton Asylum. This is the sight of many adventurous high schoolers exploring the supposedly *haunted* grounds of this retired tuberculosis hospital (fun fact: Henryton never actually treated the "criminally insane"). If you were lucky enough to run for MRHSXC this road has a whole separate meaning to you: 6 miles of trees, one big hill, and far too many cars speeding significantly over the posted limit. Whether it be exploring with friends or struggling through another cross country practice (shout out to Malt and Conley) most HoCo high schoolers are familiar with Henryton.

Love ya, HoCo.