Since the day I was born, I have lived in Kansas, and I’m proud of that. As I have grown up, I hear people criticize the state of Kansas for being “boring.” What these so-called proud Kansans do not realize is how great of a state we live in and why they should give Kansas a chance.

People that live in Kansas often feel like we live in the middle of nowhere, but have they really experienced Kansas? From farmers markets in small towns to the amazing sunsets, Kansas is truly unlike any other state. Yes, Kansas has more grassland than city, but that doesn’t mean you should not be proud to live here.

Not only is the state itself great, but there are some pretty amazing cities too. Wichita, Manhattan, Lawrence and Kansas City are unlike any other places in the world because of the uniqueness that these cities have. The feeling of being welcomed into any city in Kansas is indescribable because of the culture and the people,
but you won’t know it until you visit one of the amazing cities Kansas has to offer.

It is hard to find another place in the country where the whole town is on Mass St. for a KU basketball game, or people can be wearing shorts one day and the having to wear a winter coat the next. No matter where you go after being in Kansas, you will never experience the same pride for any state as Kansans do.

Along with the extreme amount of pride most Kansans have to live here, we also know how to ignore all the stereotypes of living in the Sunflower State. When you tell people you are from Kansas, you can almost guarantee people will ask you about your farm, mention tornadoes or make some kind of “Wizard of Oz” reference. I would like to set the record straight that, no, we are not all farmers who live in Oz, and no, we only occasionally have tornadoes.

We have the best of both worlds here in the center of the nation. From acres upon acres of prairie land to Kansas City, Kansas, we have everything you could ever imagine to do — even go to a beach (on a lake of course). But to truly know how great the home on the range is, you have to experience all of it. Give the Sunflower State a chance.

Don’t be ashamed of your home state. Be proud to be from the breadbasket of the nation. And the next time you are about to say, “I hate Kansas,” remember all the great things this state has to offer. Explore the prairie land and our amazing college towns and then tell me how great Kansas really is.