You Know You're From Nebraska If You've Experienced These 14 Rites Of Passage
×
Delana Lefevers
Author
There’s nothing quite like being from Nebraska. Growing up here – or at least living here for a long time – means having some pretty great experiences that most other people won’t get to have. You can truly call yourself a Nebraskan if you’ve done just about all of these.
Whether it was detasseling corn, walking beans, picking apples, or any of the other important jobs farmers love to hire youngsters for, this was a really important part of growing up for many Nebraskans.
Even if you don't live on a farm, chances are you've been at the controls of a tractor at least a few times. And if you did grow up on a farm, your first time driving one was probably before you were knee-high to a grasshopper.
Advertisement
...A lake beach, that is. Which, let's be honest, is a whole lot better than a shark-infested ocean beach, right?
Advertisement
There's a whole lot of space between towns in most of the state, so if you're driving between two of them and need to "go," well, those trees are nature's rest stop.
Winter driving is treacherous around here. We've all been in the position where all you can do is grip the steering wheel tight, grit your teeth, and pray that the car coming up behind you can manage to stop in time.
It's a state pride thing. Even if we (gasp!) don't even like football, we've likely worn Husker red just to show support.
You can probably cross this one off even if you've never lived in the country a day in your life. That's because in Nebraska, these babies are all over the place.
Related Stories
12 Unusual Experiences That Unite Every Nebraskan
10 Awesome Things About Nebraska That Really Are For Everyone
14 Words Only People From Nebraska Will Understand
If you're from Nebraska, that doesn't even sound unusual to you. It's just a normal year.
Advertisement
Our storms are legendary, and you just can't get the full experience if you're cowering in the house every time one rolls through.
People laugh when we say we get lost on purpose, but it's a fantastic way to see some of our state's beautiful backroads. (And, of course, we also get lost on accident sometimes...but we tend to play it off like we meant to do it.)
To be perfectly honest, we don't need a game or other event to go have a barbecue in a parking lot or drink beers sitting on somebody's tailgate. Whatever the occasion, this is good old-fashioned Nebraska fun.
Or, heaven forbid, actually had to outrun one. We love our storms, but we know when it's time to stop messing around and get into the shelter.
We're really big on parades here, and we're not at all picky about who gets to be in them. In some small towns, there are more people in the parade than there are watching from the sidewalk.
Advertisement
Take all of the great (terrible) food, the fast rides, the hot sun, and the overwhelming excitement, and you've got the recipe for a slightly unpleasant experience in the middle of an otherwise fun day. Don't be embarrassed, though - it happens to everyone at least once.
There are about a million other things that are essential parts of the Nebraska experience – what would you add to the list?
For a few things that no self-respecting Nebraskan would ever be caught doing, check out this list from the archives.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Featured Addresses
Nebraska, USA