The truth about life in Susquehanna County

You’ll hate it while you’re there, but miss it when you leave

Life in a small town isn’t always how it’s portrayed in country songs. Every small town has it’s own little quirks, oddities and traditions that touches every person who lives there.

Susquehanna County, PA is a special place. You hate it while you’re there but you’ll miss it when you leave. Nothing ever really makes sense in this small town, but there is no other place you’d rather be.

Everyone at Blue Ridge was your family

Everyone knows everyone. Your parents had the same teachers you did, and you either have to live up to your older siblings’ standards or hope they don’t realize your relation. It was a classic small town high school were you could get stuck behind a tractor on your way to school. The road up the hill didn’t even have lines. You walked in there your first day of kindergarten and walked out of the same building on graduation day. When your class is only 72 people, you don’t leave with friends, you live with family.

 

Our nightlife was just a bit out of the ordinary

The dirt roads were our entertainment on warm summer nights with the windows down and country music blasting out the window, driving by fields full of fireflies that lit up the night. We drive by the bars we aren’t allowed into yet, our junkyard cars crammed with as many people as possible. We stand in fields laughing at the night, bonfires lighting up the fields and casting a yellow glow on everyone’s faces. You see the outlines of all the people you know so well, and you never want the night to end.

Summers are brutally hot but so much fun

Summer days are spent outside by the lake, in the ponds, or in the fields. We complain all winter that it’s too damn cold then we complain all summer that it’s too damn hot. We spend hours and hours fishing and playing with fireworks that we aren’t allowed to buy, but can sell. We spend more time chasing fireflies and getting ready for the fair then we would like to admit. It’s always crazy, but it’s always so much fun.

Winters are straight out of a postcard

The summers are warmer than warm and the winters are colder than cold. We have learned to accept the fact that temperature will never be on our side. We are more comfortable driving in the snow than just about anyone else. You hate the first flake of snow, but love how beautiful everything looks. And there’s nothing better than snow on Christmas. You’ve basically become immune to the feeling of how cold your face is at all times and losing feeling in your fingers is a daily occurrence. Snowmobile tracks are everywhere and you can’t help but love it.

Dirt roads are better than therapy

Driving around on dirt roads is our favorite pastime. Whenever the world seems to just get a little bit too much you know you can go to those backroads and just drive for hours and clear your head. The world doesn’t seem so big and bad when you got dirt roads to drive along. It doesn’t matter where they lead because all roads lead to somewhere. And they usually lead you right where you need to be.

“Friday night lights” is the highlight of the week

Nothing goes together quite like a small town and football. Though our little town has it’s own little twist. Two high schools coming together to create one team. Driving to the next high school over just to watch the games. We didn’t have Friday night lights, we had Saturday afternoons. Except for the one game a year that is “under the lights.” Where we have to bring in our own lights which are supported up by haybales. It doesn’t get more country than that.  

You didn’t learn much, to be honest

Though we loved our little small town high school, let’s be realistic — the education wasn’t the best. We were not prepared for college in the slightest. High school was more like a joke to most of us because we never had to work too hard. You get into college and your first semester is hell on earth, unless you’re one of those people who are just naturally smart. And if you’re one of those, you’re one of the few who went away to the big colleges most people only dream about.

 

The lack of jobs is a serious problem

The hardest part about being home for the summer would be the lack of jobs. It’s so hard to find anything that pays well. You spend so much time trying to find a job that usually by the time you find one, you don’t have that much time to work. And if you go away to school, you damn well know the chances of you finding a job when you get back is slim to none. Staying in this area and getting the job you want are two things that probably won’t happen together.

 

There is no such thing as a quick trip to Wal-Mart

If you ever need to run to Wal-Mart or Target, it’s not a quick thing. You can either drive to Binghamton or Scranton, but it turns into a whole day ordeal. Everything is over a half hour away and it’s not always easy to find what you need. You laugh when people ask you where the closet Wal-Mart or CVS is. Because you’d have to go quite aways to get what you want.

 

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