Living in Kansas, whether you’re born here or not, is an adventure. You’ll meet people of all kinds and all walks of life, but sometimes you’re definitely not prepared for what comes next. These odd encounters are usually funny, and only make you feel closer to other Kansans. The more the merrier, right?
- Every spring, walking into a fresh spiderweb as you leave the house.
Robert Taylor/Flickr It’s usually not a complete one, but if you live anywhere in eastern Kansas, you’re at risk for random webs making their way into your hair every morning. The same thing happens to anyone walking under trees.
- Getting rained on with no clouds around.
Patrick Emerson/Flickr You can have a mildly cloudy day with no rain the forecast, and suddenly you’re being rained on, without any rainy clouds in sight. It’s called a sunshower, and it’s always a unique experience.
- Looking one way and seeing sunshine, and the other way you see only darkness and clouds.
Niccolò Ubalducci/Flickr When a storm rolls in, one half of the sky is usually bright and sunny while the other is completely dark with storm clouds. It’s a magical moment to be between a regular day and a storm, and usually only happens while you’re driving along long stretches of road. Maybe this is when we learned to start smelling storms?
- Sharing long conversations with people you’ve never met.
Chris/Flickr If you’re waiting in line for something, or sometimes at the grocery store, you might get stopped by someone to talk about where you’re from, where you went to high school, or people you know. If you live in a small town, odds are that they know someone who knows someone who knows you. Maybe you’ve just made a new friend!
- Sometimes, the rain really does come in sideways.
Rich Brooks/Flickr Though some people might not associate this heavy weather with Kansas, a few years here will teach you that Kansas is full of surprises. Raining sideways, snowing sideways, and sometimes even both at the same time are all possibilities here.
- Realizing that you’ll end up seeing your classmates no matter where you move within the state.
Beverly/Flickr If you went to high school here in Kansas, odds are you’ll keep running into classmates if you stay in the state. Whether it’s the mall, a local store, or somewhere far away from where you started.
- Being gifted giant squash and zucchini because they are “up to their ears in it” already.
vigilant20/Flickr Small towns in Kansas are full of miniature gardens and squash and zucchini are some of the easiest things to grow. However, they easily get as big as your arm and twice as thick, so if you discover a box of it on your porch after church, it’s your problem now! Zucchini bread is what I make with mine.
- Alternately, growing your own and realize you have to find someone who will take the extra.
vigilant20/Flickr Alternately, if you grow it yourself, you might find yourself on the other side of the situation. You’ll try to push it off on other people before it goes bad, only to realize that just about everyone already has some.
- Getting stuck behind farm traffic on your way to school, work, etc.
Carol Von Canon/Flickr I grew up in a town surrounded by farmland, so if you were going to school early for an event or staying late for practice, odds are you were driving behind farm equipment at some point. Ditto for going to work in the next town over, as well.
- Realizing that the whole neighborhood celebrates Christmas Cookie Season.
Clay Bitner/Flickr Making your neighbors something is a friendly gesture that you’ll find all over Kansas towns, but peppernuts are how my family gave back to the community. Do you or your family make these little spiced cookies too? If you want to try them, make sure you’ve got all day to do it.
If you want to have an amazing day or weekend in Kansas that’s not part of the ordinary, why not check out all the cool places you can visit in western Kansas?
Robert Taylor/Flickr
It’s usually not a complete one, but if you live anywhere in eastern Kansas, you’re at risk for random webs making their way into your hair every morning. The same thing happens to anyone walking under trees.
Patrick Emerson/Flickr
You can have a mildly cloudy day with no rain the forecast, and suddenly you’re being rained on, without any rainy clouds in sight. It’s called a sunshower, and it’s always a unique experience.
Niccolò Ubalducci/Flickr
When a storm rolls in, one half of the sky is usually bright and sunny while the other is completely dark with storm clouds. It’s a magical moment to be between a regular day and a storm, and usually only happens while you’re driving along long stretches of road. Maybe this is when we learned to start smelling storms?
Chris/Flickr
If you’re waiting in line for something, or sometimes at the grocery store, you might get stopped by someone to talk about where you’re from, where you went to high school, or people you know. If you live in a small town, odds are that they know someone who knows someone who knows you. Maybe you’ve just made a new friend!
Rich Brooks/Flickr
Though some people might not associate this heavy weather with Kansas, a few years here will teach you that Kansas is full of surprises. Raining sideways, snowing sideways, and sometimes even both at the same time are all possibilities here.
Beverly/Flickr
If you went to high school here in Kansas, odds are you’ll keep running into classmates if you stay in the state. Whether it’s the mall, a local store, or somewhere far away from where you started.
vigilant20/Flickr
Small towns in Kansas are full of miniature gardens and squash and zucchini are some of the easiest things to grow. However, they easily get as big as your arm and twice as thick, so if you discover a box of it on your porch after church, it’s your problem now! Zucchini bread is what I make with mine.
Alternately, if you grow it yourself, you might find yourself on the other side of the situation. You’ll try to push it off on other people before it goes bad, only to realize that just about everyone already has some.
Carol Von Canon/Flickr
I grew up in a town surrounded by farmland, so if you were going to school early for an event or staying late for practice, odds are you were driving behind farm equipment at some point. Ditto for going to work in the next town over, as well.
Clay Bitner/Flickr
Making your neighbors something is a friendly gesture that you’ll find all over Kansas towns, but peppernuts are how my family gave back to the community. Do you or your family make these little spiced cookies too? If you want to try them, make sure you’ve got all day to do it.
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