The Land You Live In

[Freya]

I'm American. The United States is quite a large country compared to many European countries so our states are almost like countries themselves in some cultural ways.

I grew up between Texas and Wyoming. I was mostly young in Texas so I don't share the fondness for it that many Texans do. My Pre-teen and Teenage years were spent in Wyoming. This place is the moon. Or that's what I used to refer to it. It's rolling plains then beautiful mountains. But it snows a lot in the winter so it looks very moon-like to me. Yellowstone is one of the most gorgeous places I've ever been to though and I highly recommend it to others.

The people in Wyoming are a bit more "Cold" Like their blizzarding windy weather. They're more direct and blunt with the way they speak to one another and they aren't that open and friendly to new people, or "Warm". It's not that they don't care, it's just they aren't like that as a culture to random new people. They have a neutral American accent. They also have an obsession with hunting.

I currently live in Southern Oklahoma. This state is actually very pretty for most of the year and is quite magical during the summers when the fireflies are blinking across the lakes. Allergies are horrible as anything can grow here so it can kill you, whoops. You also have to worry about ridiculously intense weather with the Tornados that come through here. There is nothing like that kind of weather. I find it fascinating but for many others they find it terrifying.

The people are more warm and open toward new people but they are also extremely judgemental. You can definitely feel more accepted and happier on a basic level of interaction. We're part of the "Bible Belt", though. So while they'll be nice and smile and be friendly in a basic sense, they tend to be more judgmental over things you've said or done. Many around here tend to use their religion as an excuse to be more rude like this. They will "pray for you" in regards to your sins or repent their own sins every sunday. This is not to say everyone is like this or that religious people in general are like this but a large majority in this area tend to follow that trend. I kind of like shopping on sundays though because of how religious it is here. No one is ever at the grocery store Sunday morning, it's lovely.

They also are very nosey here. There is a monthly paper that comes out that everyone loves that has all the mugshots and small descriptions of what people got arrested for in the past month. It's in every county I've been in, in this state. They make bank off it. I find this strange and a bit of an invasion of privacy but they all find it normal and are excited about it. It's strange.

Also they love playing in the mud/dirt. There's this weird culture that they have that involves large trucks and off roading and mud and rivers and lakes and dirt and I don't get it but whatever.

So yeah! That's Wyoming and Oklahoma for you! That's a bit longer than I think you wanted haha