8 Things You Thought You'd Always Hate About Maine, But Have Learned To Love
By Michelle|Published December 06, 2021
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Michelle
Author
Michelle's life is a colorful map of exploration and adventure. From the iconic streets of New York to the sunny shores of Florida, the jagged coast of Maine to the rugged terrain of Montana, she's been fortunate to call some of America's most beautiful states home. Beyond the U.S., Michelle's wanderlust has taken her on a motorcycle journey through India, led her to teach English in Hanoi, and saw her studying Spanish in Guatemala. Michelle graduated with a communications degree from the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and in addition to a career in advertising has worked with OnlyInYourState since 2016, where her love for travel and storytelling converges. Alongside writing and exploring, Michelle finds joy in photography, staying active, and time with her family.
For questions, comments and inquiries please email: mstarin@onlyinyourstate.com.
When people think of Maine, they often think of the cold winters and the fact that they seem to stick around forever before spring arrives. This is just one of the things about life in Maine that we thought we’d never learn to get through. There are times we won’t admit it, but living here isn’t always beautiful coastlines and great views. However, no matter how much we’ve complained over the years, we’ve come around to most everything. Here’s a list of things to love about Maine — some of which we couldn’t imagine living without!
It's no secret that things in Maine aren't always totally convenient. A 3-mile drive might take 20 minutes depending on just how far out you live. While it's taken some time, we really do appreciate just how beautifully remote and untouched some places here are.
Winters anywhere can be rough, but here in Maine, they seem to go on forever. Couple that with the sun setting in the mid-afternoon and it can feel like everything is dull. But, over time we've come to find these winter days cozy and comforting. It helps to know that summer is always on its way, though!
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3. Being told by our parents that the biggest driving hazard was a moose.
So this might be a bit obscure and a bit personal, but we grew up constantly being told to watch for moose during the season. At the time it made us feel like growing up in Maine was totally weird. Today, though, regaling our friends from away with stories of moose at the side of the road is one of the best party tricks we've got.
We grew up seeing photos of models in fashion magazines wearing just about anything except things like plaid and flannel. But these days it's considered far more fashionable than it was when we were forced to wear it simply to keep warm. It was a love-hate relationship back then and today it's just good ol' fashioned love
We've known all our lives that Maine has the best fall foliage in the country, but it took a long time to stop getting frustrated at all the slow-moving cars on our back roads during fall foliage season. Today, we've come to love just how many people finally understand why it's so great up here. Now if they could only drive slightly faster.
There was a period of time when we had no idea that Mainers spoke with an accent or with a unique language. But then we moved out of state and found that not everyone lived within driving distance of a town with ten letters in its name. Today we love words like "ayuh" and "dooryahd" and go out of our way to refer to places like "Mooselookmeguntic Lake."
It's possible that not everyone grew up being brought on hikes throughout the year, but this one is something we never thought we'd come around to. Being expected to venture into the outdoors on weekends when we wanted to go to the mall with friends made for a lot of complaining. But today we relish time spent outdoors with those we love.
8. The history lessons that were a part of every trip to a new place in the state.
Today we find the history in Maine fascinating, but growing up it felt like a school lesson every time we went anywhere. We can finally appreciate just how special it is to be here! If you want to learn more about some of the most historic spots in Maine check out this article.
What are some things you love about Maine that other people might think are crazy? Let us know in the comments to see just how many people agree with you!
