10 Things That Don't Phase You If You Grew Up in Rural Minnesota

Growing up in rural Minnesota is like growing up in a whole different world. Here are 10 things that no longer phase you if you grew up in the middle of nowhere.

1. Wild Animals

Deer, raccoons, coyotes, a loose cow from the farm next door, the occasional bear. It has all wandered through your yard a time or two. Nothing new to see.

2. Combined High School Sports Teams

Small schools mean small sports teams. Sometimes you need to join forces with your previous rivals in order to keep those teams alive. It's just the way the world works.

3. Blaze Orange and Camouflage Everything

Even out of hunting season you see it everywhere. Promotional items handed out in the area typically have that color scheme, and you're not about to turn down a free hat.

4. Farm Equipment Traffic Jams

They're just trying to do their job, and you understand that completely.

5. Running Into People You Know

The town isn't big enough to not run into at least one person you know on a trip to the grocery store. Give Karen the update on how everyone in your family is doing, and then try to get everything left on your shopping list.

6. Road Kill

It's everywhere. You stop feeling overly bad for the squished squirrels after a while. The real guilt comes when you're the one that hits them.

7. Unplowed Back Roads in the Winter

Sometimes it can be a while before those back gravels get cleaned off, especially if a big storm hits. Take it slow, and have a shovel in the trunk of the car just in case.

8. Small Town Rumors

When everyone knows everyone, word gets around fast. You hear something, and at this point you take it with a grain of salt and move on until the real news story comes out.