Being born and raised in Missouri, I am automatically doomed to the stereotypes of being a Midwesterner. If you were born, raised or currently live anywhere near the Midwest, you’ll be right there with me on this. For starters, we’re different. But, how are we different? Obviously states like Iowa and California have their differences in terms of landmarks and terrain. But when it comes to people, we aren’t necessarily different creatures than those from the Deep South or the coasts. But, for some reason, those who aren’t from the Midwest seem to find us quite different. Here are eight of the most popular things thought to happen in the Midwest. Some are just ridiculous, and some are honestly completely accurate.

1. "We all have livestock."

While we all most likely saw at least a cow or two on our drive home today, that doesn’t mean we go home and insist on milking them.

2. "We only listen to country music."

Considering a couple of my favorite artists are Young Thug, Chance the Rapper, and Drake… this isn’t quite accurate.

3. "We’re lazy."

Well, okay this is accurate not only for some of the Midwest, but pretty much the U.S. in general. We could all probably afford to lose a pound or two.

4. "We're friendly."

Okay yes duh the Midwest is filled with some of the friendliest people you’ll every come across! So true!

5. "We only eat fried food."

Okay false!! (Kind of.) Who doesn’t enjoy fried chicken and cheese curds and all that deliciousness on occasion? But, we also have some nutrition in our diet I promise!

6. "We’re unfashionable."

Okay this one makes me mad. We may not live in the fashion capital of the world, but we know how to keep up with the fashion industry.

7. "We are all from small towns and plan on staying there our whole life."

False. Coming from someone who aspires to live in New York, a lot of us are ready to explore and see what the whole world has to offer.

8. "It’s just a giant piece of farmland and everyone lives in little farmhouses."

Although farmers are abundant and make up a large amount of the Midwest to provide for all of us, we also have big city life. Ever heard of Chicago? St. Louis? Omaha? Minneapolis? You should check them out if you haven’t already. They are just as much of a big city as some of those on the coasts. Okay probably not the size of Los Angeles…I won’t get ahead of myself.

The point is, the Midwest is fun too! It’s an amazing place to grow up. And although some of these stereotypes are true and aren’t necessarily negative aspects of the Midwest, we’re so proud to be a part of all of it. The farmers with the livestock and the farmland, without them we wouldn’t have fresh produce and meat and all of the other goods they provide. And although I’m not in love with country music, sometimes it’s not all that bad! And there is nothing like living in a place where you can count on getting at least a smile out of each person you come across. So for all of those corn-fed Midwesterners, be proud of where you’re from! The Midwest is a wonderful place, myths and all.