You can take the boy out of Wyoming, but you can’t take Wyoming out of the boy…or girl, as the case may be.
Whether you were born in the Cowboy State or were fortunate enough to move here from elsewhere, living in Wyoming influences everything about you. From the way you dress to the way you talk and many of the things you do. Since everyone else pretty much has the same habits, you might not notice it until you venture outside of the state. Take a look at these 8 undeniable habits that are so ingrained no Wyomingite can unlearn them – so why try?
Whatever it is, from hot dogs to steak strips and calf testicles, everything tastes better dipped in batter and fried to a crisp golden brown. Yes, everything, including Oreos, Twinkies, and your favorite candy bar.
We love our wildlife, but no one loves the thought of tangling with the grizzly from up the hill. Wyomingites usually have a can of bear-strength mace on hand just in case.
Many Wyomingites are gun enthusiasts and, with the state's open-carry law, we have the highest gun ownership per capita in the entire U.S. Once you've gotten used to having a pistol strapped to your side or holstered in your belt, you feel naked without it.
House or car, it doesn't matter. Wyoming is a friendly place where neighbors watch out for one another instead of looking for the opportunity to rob each other blind. Besides, with most people armed (see #4 above), entering an unlocked house unannounced and unexpected isn't a smart move.
OK, maybe not to a wedding or funeral, but Wyomingites wear their hunting clothes to many other social events. Cowboy hats and boots are other undeniably Wyoming apparel and are items you will see at weddings and funerals not only on the guests but the bride, groom, and dearly departed, too.
When you live in a state where winter comes early and aggressively, you get used to adjusting to celebrate Halloween. It used to be that your mom would buy or make your costume several sizes too big so that it would fit over your snowsuit, making you look like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man no matter what you were really trying to be. That still happens in some smaller communities, but Wyomingites in the bigger cities, where there are indoor shopping malls and large apartment complexes, have taken trick or treating indoors. It's so much warmer, you don't have to climb over snow drifts to collect your candy, and your costume looks exactly like you wanted it to.
In Wyoming, winters are long, the snow is deep, and it's a million miles to everywhere. That means being prepared at all times by stocking the pantry until it's bursting and keeping bottled water, blankets, batteries, flashlights, and first aid on hand at home and in the trunk of your car.
Do you recognize any of these habits in yourself or fellow Wyomingites?
What other uniquely Wyoming habits belong on the list?
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