Growing up here and living in rural Pennsylvania for my entire life (two decades so far), I have learned that this Commonwealth is seriously a special place. While it can be easy for anyone to become jaded against their hometown or local area or school, I think we all hold a deep affection for the state from which we are reared. Here is why the all-natural Pennsylvania is special to me.

1. We get to experience all four seasons!

Some people take for granted that we get to see warm mosaics of autumn leaves and smooth blankets of winter snow all in the same year. Many of us may not be fans of the cold, but freezing our butts off in the winter can help us appreciate the butterflies of spring and the warmth of summer even more.

2. People in the cities don’t know the value of silence like we do.

In the small towns of every corner of the state, most Pennsylvanians know the value of simplistic silence. Whether you’re kayaking down the Allegheny or taking a stroll through your home borough, the embrace of nature combined with the quaint downtown scenes many of us are familiar with gets us all the time.

3. When you grow up in the country, you thrive in politeness.

Everyone I have ever met from small towns like mine in Pennsylvania are usually extra polite. Back home in Warren, I was raised around kind adults and a safe atmosphere. Maybe examples like that are why I always see random strangers holding doors open for each other over an hour away from home in Clarion University.

4. Pennsylvania has such a great variety of colleges.

To my knowledge, there isn’t an ugly college in the state, especially if it is nestled deep within a forest or on the rolling hills of the Pennsylvanian green grass and shining white snow. You could live and study in a thriving city-like community such as Penn State or call the cozy abodes of Slippery Rock University your home, but no matter what, it seems like great opportunities for friendship and recreation are inescapable.

5. You know it already. We have some of the greatest sunsets!

Sure, our refineries and ozone-killing pollutants may be the things causing the countless number of colors in our skies at night, but I would argue that it’s worth it. Not every state or country gets the chance to marvel at all the pinks, reds, purples, blues, oranges and yellows in the air so many nights a week. Pennsylvanian sunsets inspire us and end any day off with a brilliant note of American beauty.