The typical "How to know you're from *insert hometown here*" article. I know, there are tons of these out there. This one, however, is different. I have a keen eye for noticing small details that most people may just look past and not think twice about. I also remember things from my childhood that made a huge impact on my life. Erie has a lot of these little knacks that make it so special to my heart and one of the many reasons I am proud to call it home.

1. The Go Fish/Leap Frog sculptures around town

I remember when I was younger, my grandma and I took a bus trip around the city to see all of the fish sculptures. I believe it was a few years later when they redid this project with frogs, and I was equally as excited to try to find all of the sculptures. Unfortunately, many of these statues have been sold and moved from their original place, but if you look hard enough there are still some scattered around the city.

2. Reizen

One of my personal favorite street artists, Reizen, is an anonymous artist out of Erie that periodically leaves his four-eyed mark or other abstract work around town. He uses wheat paste to hang his unique art around the city to show his talent and get his ideas across.

3. The expERIEnce Children's Museum

The Children's Museum was without a doubt my favorite place to go when I was a child. Every Friday, my aunt and uncle would take me for the day and we would go do something around town. At least once a month I would ask them to take me here just because I would always have the best time. I remember as soon as I would walk in, I would want to go to the giant bubble machine in hopes that I could enclose myself in an enormous soap bubble. From there, I would run to the Bedrock Cave to see all of the cave drawings and then slide down the slide to get out. Right outside of the cave was a small sand pit I would dig in with a little shovel and find things like rocks, shells, and shark teeth. There was additionally the recycling exhibit with a mechanical arm that would throw cans away and also the differently packed garbage bags I could test my strength with. Once I got upstairs, I would sit in front of the "makeup" mirrors and color my face in ridiculous ways with the crayons they had. I thought I looked beautiful, but I'm pretty sure by the end of it I could have been confused with a clown. Finally, I would go to the Wegmans Kids Market and fill my cart with food, drinks and whatever else my little heart desired. I would ring up my order and be on my way (after putting everything back). These are just a few of the hundreds of things that I loved about the Children's Museum. Every time I would go, I would find something new and exciting to amuse myself with. Even though it has been about 10 years since I have last gone, I am sure I would have just as much fun now as I did back then.

4. Jesse and Ricardo

If you live in Erie, there's a good possibility that you have seen Jesse and Ricardo riding their tandem bike around town. The two men, who go by "Art in Tandem," have been together for over 20 years and love everything to do with art. They are always seen wearing matching clothes with the most amazingly unique headpieces to match their outfits. When I was younger I would always have my mom take me to Barnes and Noble, and I remember I would get so excited when I saw their bike sitting outside. I have always shown an interest in them, and after seeing them be featured on the TV show, American Pickers, it made me really happy that I wasn't the only one that enjoyed learning more about these two.

5. The Kite Beach

This list wouldn't be complete without mentioning something about Presque Isle. The entire peninsula is such an alluring place in itself, but the area that has always interested me the most was the Kite Beach located between beaches nine and 10. Like many other people here, I enjoy taking "PI runs" to relax and just to have something to do. As I pass the Perry Monument, I make sure to keep my eyes open for the hundreds of kites flying through the sky to create a scene of beautiful colors and warm weather happiness.

6. Patiently waiting for all of the ice cream shops to open.

Denny's, Sara's, Rita's, Creamland, Whippy Dip -- you name it. We all have a favorite and we all anxiously await the day they open the doors to their summery deliciousness. Whether it's a peanut butter milkshake, a blue moon cone, or any other cold treat, Erie is full of shops that can satisfy any ice cream craving.

7. The Chalk Walk

Summers in Erie are full of fun things to do, but one of my favorite things to look forward to seeing is the Chalk Walk at Celebrate Erie every year. Held during the end of the summer, this event is full of vendors, musical guests, entertainment, and of course, beautiful works of art lining the blocks down State Street. It always amazed me the amount of time and effort the artists put into their works, but in the end they all turn out beautifully.

We have all had moments where we complain about "the mistake on the lake," but when you take a minute to actually look around you and see all of the incredible things this city has to offer, it makes you realize how marvelous this place is. After being away from Erie for my first year of college, I appreciate my city even more than I did before. Erie has been a part of me my whole entire life, and I am hoping to continue to stay here for the rest of it. I've only listed a select few of the many great things this town has to offer, but I could go on and on about more of the special things here. I know living in this beautiful city of Erie, Pa. has influenced my life greatly and I have no doubt it has done the same for others.