6 “Hills” Every Hoosier Is Willing To Die On

If you've lived in Indiana your whole life, or moved here some time ago and feel like you were pretty much born here, then chances are you have a few "hills" you're willing to die on—just because you're a Hoosier.

Some opinions and beliefs about life in Indiana are strongly held, while others are simply fun to bicker about at family dinner. That said, almost all Hoosiers take the following weird and amusing things about our state as facts. Starting with, if you can't tell who's a Hoosier, don't worry: we'll let you know... at least a few times. Because we're fun like that.

1. Oct. 18, 2015, Is an Infamous Day

On this fateful day in 2015, the Indianapolis Colts attempted a trick play versus the New England Patriots. Long story short, it went poorly (very poorly), directly resulting in a victory... for the Patriots. To this day, it is considered one of the all-time worst plays in NFL history—also known as the "Colts catastrophe"—and if you ask us, it was easily one of the worst days in Indiana history, too.

Ask any Hoosier about that day, and they will lament about how if they could go back in time to ONE day, just one day in all of human history... it would be this one, to tell our beloved team: DON'T DO IT. (We still weep.)

2. Indiana Is NOT. Just. Corn.

Seriously, when someone who isn't from Indiana acts like this state is no fun, we might get a little steamed. Yes, we have over 5 million acres of corn fields, but Indiana is also an incredible, underrated place filled top-to-bottom with amazing things to do, see, and experience. The natural wonders of Indiana are incredible, and the only people allowed to make corn jokes about Indiana are us. Not from around here? Pff. Don't even try it.

3. 'Parks and Rec' Was Inspired By Us

Pawnee, Indiana, may not be a real place, but it turns out that the wholesome Hoosier town in the hit TV comedy Parks and Recreation was, in fact, based on the beautiful small town of Muncie. Of course, those of us who have been around a while already knew that, and many an internet argument was had between folks who have never been and Hoosiers who knew all along. Turned out, we were right: upon the finishing of the series, it was revealed that Muncie was indeed the inspiration for Pawnee. Ha, we knew it.

4. We Don't Go to Gary

We do not care how many people find urban exploration to be interesting. If you ask any Hoosier where they refuse to go at night (or during the day), they'll likely interrupt you with "Gary" before you're even done asking. Why? Once upon a time, Gary was the murder capital of the world. Though it's made attempts over the years to renew and rejuvenate—not to mention some of the actually-pretty-amazing abandoned places in Gary worthy of a photoshoot—most lifelong Hoosiers will tell you: steer clear.

5. That Whole Pothole Thing

If you go to Italy and visit Rome, you'll come upon some ancient streets that you're still able to walk on to this day. Even those have fewer potholes than Indiana's roads. Seriously, are they that hard to fix? What did we do wrong? The state's Department of Transportation does have an online portal where you can report these annoying divots, but whether they'll get fixed quickly? That's a whole other story. (Pictured above: definitely not Indiana.)

6. Don't Like the Weather? 'Wait 15 Minutes'

There's no denying that the weather in Indiana is notoriously strange and unreasonable, often with sunshine and warmth in the morning and blizzard conditions by nightfall. We get all sorts of fun weather events around here: tornadoes, blizzards, ice storms, you name it. That's why most of us stand by the silly little adage, "wait 15 minutes," about Indiana's weather—it could really change that quickly.

There you have it: six "hills" almost every Hoosier is willing to die on. Want to discover other aspects of Indiana life that most locals recall fondly (or ferociously)? Book a trip to The Hoosier State for yourself, and get personalized dining, lodging, and sightseeing recs with the help of Only In Your State's itinerary planner.