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Only In Your State gives a very accurate list for awkward moments that every Virginian has endured at least once! Check it out below:
- Trying to explain and perhaps defend our state motto -- Most visitors to our state have a few questions about our state motto, and we're left to answer them. It's been our tourism slogan since 1970, and you have to admit it's pretty memorable. Virginia is for lovers...of all things Virginia!
- Introducing yourself if you have a double name -- While double names aren't exclusive to Virginia, they are especially traditional here. It's often difficult to explain to someone from a different region that yes, some first names are actually TWO names.
- Dressing up for what you expect the weather to be -- "It's the middle of December, so why not bundle up in a heavy coat?" is a mindset that's made a fool of us all. Virginia's seasons have a mind of their own, no matter what the forecast may claim.
- Driving out of state, only to realize vanity plates are few and far between -- Here in Virginia, we tend to share a little bit of our personalities on our license plates. Seeing as Virginia has the highest concentration of vanity plates, we stand out a little more beyond the VA border.
- The request for clarification from an out-of-towner when we say we're headed to "the Rivah" -- It's easy to forget that not everyone can identify a specific area of the state from its main natural feature!
- Apologizing after referring to someone as "ma'am" or "sir" -- Answering a question with "yes ma'am" or "yes sir" is engrained into our language, and it's a difficult habit to break. (What would our parents say?!")
- Stifling a giggle when someone mispronounces a town name -- It's an innocent mistake, especially when the spelling can be very misleading. Nevertheless, nothing is quite as amusing as hearing your hometown pronounced by a visitor.
- That blank stare you get after trying to explain directions by obscure landmarks -- "You'll take a right after the fence where you usually see all those cows. You know, after that one gas station?" Despite our best efforts, directions in Virginia -- especially the scenic backgrounds -- can get a bit confusing for those who have never taken them.
- Finding yourself a little TOO prepared for that supposed snowstorm that never came -- It's a well-known fact that Virginia tends to over-prepare for snowstorms, most of which never arrive. But hey, better safe than sorry!
- When someone asks if West Virginia is part of Virginia -- It seems like a no-brainer to anyone who's grown up here, but for other parts of the country, the answer may not be so obvious.
- Going for a nice hike in the woods and....ick! Walking right through an invisible spider web -- Everyone's familiar with that little dance you do after walking through a spider web, and Virginia has plenty of wooded areas where these traps are just waiting to catch us.
- Confused looks after addressing a group of two or more as "y'all" -- Not everyone in Virginia says "y'all," but for those of us who do, we're used to the puzzled looks we get anywhere that's not considered the south.
- When the humidity of summer kicks in full force and you barely recognize your hair in the mirror -- If your hair is naturally curly or wavy, you've learned by now that there's just no fighting the natural force of summer humidity in Virginia. That's especially true along the coast.
- Overhearing someone proclaim Virginia doesn't have any "real" mountains -- Sure, our beloved mountains may not be as staggering as ones out West, but you certainly get your money's worth when you go for a hike around here. The view (and the climb!) are bound to take your breath away.