{"id":42589,"date":"2015-07-21T16:50:31","date_gmt":"2015-07-21T23:50:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/?p=42589"},"modified":"2015-07-21T16:50:31","modified_gmt":"2015-07-21T23:50:31","slug":"22-things-no-one-tells-you-about-leaving-arkansas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/22-things-no-one-tells-you-about-leaving-arkansas\/","title":{"rendered":"22 Things No One Tells You About Leaving Arkansas"},"content":{"rendered":"

1. You\u2019ll Never Find Chocolate Gravy Unless You Make It Yourself<\/h2>\n

\"Chocolate<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr User thebittenword.com<\/div>\n

A famous treat around Arkansas<\/a>, \u201cchocolate gravy\u201d doesn\u2019t really travel. People will look at you like you\u2019re crazy if you even bring it up\u2014until they taste it.<\/p>\n

2. Rotary Tiller Racing Isn\u2019t A Sport That Travels <\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: PurpleHull Pea Festival & World Championship Rotary Tiller Race via Facebook<\/div>\n

A sport that\u2019s unique to Arkansas, thousands of people in the Natural State head to the PurpleHull Pea Festival every year to check out the World Championship Rotary Tiller Race. Featuring souped-up garden tillers, participants chase these machines down 200 feet of track hoping to get a fast time.<\/p>\n

3. No One Will Be There To \u201cCall Those Hogs\u201d With You<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: Arkansas Razorbacks Football via Facebook<\/div>\n

If you shout the long \u201cWoooooooooo\u201d don\u2019t expect a \u201cpig\u201d or a \u201csooie\u201d to echo back. This might be normal in Arkansas, but it will get you some strange looks anywhere else.<\/p>\n

4. People Might Find Your Love For Crappie Odd<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr User gitsul.<\/div>\n

A fish with a strange name, crappies are a popular source of food around the Natural State. Don\u2019t expect to see them on restaurant menus and at fish frys if you leave. Even just mentioning that you\u2019re \u201ccraving some crappie\u201d will get you weird looks.<\/p>\n

5. Everyone Underestimates Arkansas<\/h2>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr User Hey Paul Studios (cropped)<\/div>\n

When you mention you\u2019re from Arkansas, get used to people simply shrugging. This is one state that out-of-staters tend to be relatively indifferent to. If only they knew how awesome it really was.<\/p>\n

6. No One Will Know Anything About The Natural State<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr User Marco Arment<\/div>\n

Perhaps people seem like they don\u2019t care about Arkansas simply because they don\u2019t know much about it. It tends to be one of those states that gets skipped over by most Americans when it comes to travel and it\u2019s not in the national news much.
\nEvery American knows that there\u2019s a place called Arkansas and they\u2019ll probably remember that it\u2019s home to Little Rock<\/a>, but expect their knowledge about the area to stop there.<\/p>\n

7. People Probably Won\u2019t Even Know Where Arkansas Is<\/h2>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr User Marxchivist (edited)<\/div>\n

If you leave Arkansas for another state be prepared to further explain where the Natural State is on the map. Because most Americans haven\u2019t even been through the state, they\u2019ll have a hard time placing it geographically.<\/p>\n

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8. Brace Yourself For Some Negative Stereotypes<\/h2>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr User jasepielli<\/div>\n

Despite the fact that most of them are completely in accurate, you can still count on out-of-towners having preconceptions about what someone from Arkansas should be like. People seem to have this opinion that everyone from Arkansas is a backcountry redneck. Sure, there are a few rural parts of the state, but that\u2019s hardly representative of the entire population.<\/p>\n

9. Your Accent Will Definitely Get Brought Up<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr User bark<\/div>\n

You\u2019ve probably lived your entire life thinking your accent doesn\u2019t really show through\u2014trust me, it does. The Arkansas accent can be most easily described as a Southern dialect comparable to how people sound in Oklahoma<\/a> or Texas<\/a>. Don\u2019t let it frustrate you when people constantly bring it up, it\u2019s just a reminder of the awesome place you\u2019re from.<\/p>\n

10. You\u2019ll Actually Have To Go Hunting For A Good Float Spot<\/h2>\n

\"Two<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr User Editor B<\/div>\n

Home to plenty of awesome creeks and rivers perfect for inner tubes, there\u2019s no better place in the country to grab a few friends and a few beers before sending yourself slowly downstream than in Arkansas.
\nIf you leave the Natural State and tell new friends that you want to go floating, they\u2019ll probably have no clue what you\u2019re even talking about.<\/p>\n

11. Expect People To Pronounce Arkansas Wrong<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr User Marcin Wichary<\/div>\n

It\u2019s \u201cAre-Can-Saw\u201d, not \u201cAr- Kansas.\u201d Believe it or not, people will still occasionally get this wrong.<\/p>\n

12. \u201cCoke\u201d Will Probably Get You Coca-Cola<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr User philosophygeek<\/div>\n

While Arkansans use the term \u201ccoke\u201d as a blanket word for all soft drinks, most other parts of the country use either \u201cpop\u201d or \u201csoda\u201d. If an Arkansan says they want a \u201ccoke\u201d in these areas, they\u2019ll get exactly that.<\/p>\n

13. Tea Isn\u2019t Always Super Sweet And Ice Cold<\/h2>\n

\"Two<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr User Kirt Edblom<\/div>\n

The southern states are famous for their ice cold sweet tea, but the further north you go, the less likely this is to be the case. If you order a tea out, expect a tiny cup filled piping hot, unsweetened liquid.<\/p>\n

14. Gunshots Won\u2019t Be So Familiar<\/h2>\n

\"Two<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr User DannyBen<\/div>\n

There are tons of gun owners in Arkansas and tons of people that go hunting on a regular basis. If you\u2019re in the more rural areas, hearing a gunshot in the distance isn\u2019t quite so strange. In the rest of the country, gunshots in the distance tend to be a bit more shocking.<\/p>\n

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15. You\u2019ll Probably Be Able To Buy Booze On Sunday<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr User Krasava<\/div>\n

One of only a few states that still won\u2019t allow booze sales on Sunday, chances are that wherever you\u2019re headed after Arkansas will be totally cool with it. No longer will you be sent into a panic when you run out of booze during the Super Bowl.<\/p>\n

16. Most People Are Totally Missing Out On The Ozarks<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr User friggy_30<\/div>\n

The coolest natural feature of the Natural State, the Ozarks provided breathtaking views in every direction making them great for hikes. No one you meet outside the state will really be able to comprehend how beautiful they are. That\u2019s just more of a reason to bring them back for a visit though.<\/p>\n

17. Bring That Deep Fryer With You<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr User ShanMcG213<\/div>\n

If Arkansas was up for a new nickname, the \u201cdeep-fried capital of America\u201d might be in the running. From veggies to meats to desserts, everything gets tossed in piping hot oil in the Natural State. If you\u2019re moving somewhere that\u2019s a little more health conscious, finding great fried food might be more of a struggle.<\/p>\n

18. You\u2019ll Start Fearing Deer Less<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr User empty007<\/div>\n

Driving in Arkansas means you must constantly be on the lookout for roadside animals. Not only can hitting them damage your car, wrecks can quickly turn into a very dangerous situation for everyone involved. If you\u2019re leaving Arkansas, you probably won\u2019t have to worry about deer crossing your path quite so much.<\/p>\n

19. No One Will Believe Snipes Are Real<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr User chapmankj75<\/div>\n

A relatively common bird in Arkansas, snipes are known for being very hard to shoot. In fact, they\u2019re so hard to shoot that locals coined the word \u201csniper\u201d as a result of the skill required to take one of them down. Most states only know of a \u201csnipe\u201d as an imaginary creature that they\u2019ll send the na\u00efve searching for when there\u2019s not much else entertainment on a warm summer night.<\/p>\n

20. \u201cSupper\u201d Tends To Confuse Most Americans<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr User motleypixel<\/div>\n

In Arkansas, midday meal is often called dinner and the nighttime meal is called supper. These terms don\u2019t travel far from the south. Saying you\u2019re eating dinner around lunch time is sure to confuse.<\/p>\n

21. You\u2019ll Probably Save A Lot On Bug Spray<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr User Lee Cannon<\/div>\n

If there\u2019s one complaint that could be made about Arkansas, it would be about all the mosquitos constantly on the hunt for new victims. Thankfully, these winged creatures don\u2019t plague the entire country. Forgetting the bug spray won\u2019t cause the same level of panic in most places.<\/p>\n

22. You\u2019ll Miss Arkansas A Lot More Than You Thought You Would<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: Flickr User ArkansasOutside.com<\/div>\n

The saying \u201cyou don\u2019t know what you\u2019ve got until it\u2019s gone\u201d definitely comes into play when you\u2019re talking about leaving Arkansas. It\u2019s full of beautiful scenery, great people, and deliciously awesome comfort food. That\u2019s pretty hard to beat.
\nNo matter how hard you try to explain how awesome Arkansas is to new friends, they won\u2019t believe you, but no matter how far you get from the Natural State, Arkansas will always have a special place in your heart.
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