We all learn a lot when growing up and there’s many obvious life lessons that would apply to anywhere – like don’t touch fire, or stick metal objects into electrical outlets (I may or may not have learned that second one the hard way, but I digress). There are some things that are learned through experience, some that are taught in our upbringing, and some that just come with living in a certain place. Here are just a few that may come with being from North Dakota – feel free to add your own in the comments.
- Proper winter tires are important.
Andrew Bain/Flickr Also helps to be able to guesstimate where the lines on the roads are because it isn’t uncommon for them to disappear under snow on bad days.
- The best place to get produce is locally.
Timothy Vollmer/Flickr Many people here have gardens and are very generous with their delicious home-grown produce - especially the ones that have so much of they can barely give away by the end of summer. Anyone want some rhubarb or zucchinis?
- Be careful on the road - there are a lot of things that are out to get you.
Laura Walker Here is our good friend the deer, who always manage to step out onto the road at the worst possible times. I swear they just wait for a car to come sometimes.
- You have to be able to adapt to all weather.
juliespagnalo/Flickr And I’m not just talking freezing winters - triple digit temperatures are not unheard of in North Dakota summers and sometimes come with lots of humidity. And let’s not forget the tornado-spawning summer storms to go with our blizzards that last a few days in winter.
- And when it comes to the cold, windchill is the real enemy.
longitudelatitude/Flickr I mean, yes the temperatures can get below zero without the windchill and we do get a hefty amount of snow some years, but the windchill can drop to insanely low temps and makes winters pretty harsh. Be careful out there if there’s a windchill advisory - those things are no joke!
- Check for ticks and apply ample bug spray in the summer.
s p e x/Flickr If you managed to get through childhood in North Dakota and never found a single tick on you, you deserve some sort of monument made in your honor. Are there any of you out there? I genuinely want to know.
- If you’re going to go fishing, it pays to have a fishing license.
Anthony Nelson/Flickr The game warden can show up out of nowhere - it isn’t worth it to go without one! Same goes for hunting. It’s just the right thing to do.
- Sometimes it’s nice to just go for a drive.
Justin Kern/Flickr Driving on the country roads in North Dakota just because you feel like it is on a totally different level of relaxing than anything else, especially late in the day. And if it gets dark you can stop the car, lie on the hood or truck bed, and stargaze. I’ve never been able to do similar anywhere else and get the same experience out of it.
How many of these did you learn from living in North Dakota? Have a few more you would add to the list? Share away!
Andrew Bain/Flickr
Also helps to be able to guesstimate where the lines on the roads are because it isn’t uncommon for them to disappear under snow on bad days.
Timothy Vollmer/Flickr
Many people here have gardens and are very generous with their delicious home-grown produce - especially the ones that have so much of they can barely give away by the end of summer. Anyone want some rhubarb or zucchinis?
Laura Walker
Here is our good friend the deer, who always manage to step out onto the road at the worst possible times. I swear they just wait for a car to come sometimes.
juliespagnalo/Flickr
And I’m not just talking freezing winters - triple digit temperatures are not unheard of in North Dakota summers and sometimes come with lots of humidity. And let’s not forget the tornado-spawning summer storms to go with our blizzards that last a few days in winter.
longitudelatitude/Flickr
I mean, yes the temperatures can get below zero without the windchill and we do get a hefty amount of snow some years, but the windchill can drop to insanely low temps and makes winters pretty harsh. Be careful out there if there’s a windchill advisory - those things are no joke!
s p e x/Flickr
If you managed to get through childhood in North Dakota and never found a single tick on you, you deserve some sort of monument made in your honor. Are there any of you out there? I genuinely want to know.
Anthony Nelson/Flickr
The game warden can show up out of nowhere - it isn’t worth it to go without one! Same goes for hunting. It’s just the right thing to do.
Justin Kern/Flickr
Driving on the country roads in North Dakota just because you feel like it is on a totally different level of relaxing than anything else, especially late in the day. And if it gets dark you can stop the car, lie on the hood or truck bed, and stargaze. I’ve never been able to do similar anywhere else and get the same experience out of it.
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