I'll start this by saying no, I am not from Canada, I am from Vermont. But we can take a day trip to Canada and that is pretty fantastic. Vermonters bear many images and stereotypes, such as being Canadians, New Yorkers, our own independent country and so on and so forth. But, despite the fact that we are the 49th smallest state in the Union, we do have some pretty amazing perks to bring to the table. Here are just five of the biggest perks of being from the Green Mountain State.

1. Drowning in everything Maple

Yeah, you could say after having made it for centuries by the Native Americans, and then being taught to the European settlers, us Vermonters know a thing or two when it comes to Maple. Such as the forever dastardly act of using fake maple syrup in any use what so ever. We would rather go into debt buying the real deal than use the fake stuff.

2. An ice cream like no other

When two names get uttered what so ever, half the people in the room will pull out spoons ready to dig into whatever flavor is available. Ben and Jerry's is a Vermont staple that has been loved and heralded by Vermonters since 1978. Going on nearly 40 years after the first scoop shop opened in Burlington, everyone from Vermont knows exactly how far the drive is to the Ben and Jerry's factory in Waterbury (And we absolutely love to gloat about it).

3. The State Nickname is so very True

As advertised on flags and license plates, we really are the Green Mountain State. If you drive anywhere on I-89 or 91, you'll see exactly what we mean. Miles and miles of rolling green hills and gentle valleys. You can hike the Long Trail from the states southern most border to the Canadian border. And during the fall when all the leaves change color, the hills turn from deep green to a fiery mix of reds, yellows and oranges that can take your breath away.

4. Hitting the slopes is what we do

When it comes to skiing and snowboarding, Vermont knows a thing or two. We may not have the high altitude peaks of the West, but we aren't coming to the table empty handed. With several ski resorts located across the state such as Bolton Valley, Smugglers Notch, Sugarbush, Jay Peak, Mad River Glen and more, there is no shortage of good trails and downhill slopes during the winter time. We recommend an early arrival to hit that fresh powder in the mornings.

5. We were actually our own country once

Like I said in the first paragraph, people think we are our own country. However, a couple centuries ago they wouldn't have been wrong. In 1777 a group of people gathered to form a government that would become the Vermont Republic. Since we were not part of the United States (Even though we had applied to be), we to a degree fought our own war against the British armies with aid from the United States. We attacked British strongholds in both the Revolution and defended our country from British invaders in the War of 1812. But for fourteen years from 1777 to 1791, America was it's own independent nation, and we didn't do a half bad job either.

So when it comes to our little state of Vermont. Every Vermonter knows we may not have the most land, or the most people, but we are pretty happy with what we've got. So with our Ben and Jerry's in hand and hiking boots on snug, we'll see you here soon.