You Know You’re From New Hampshire If… Roger Odoardi Living in New Hampshire is pretty great. With roughly 1.3 million residents, this small New England state boasts a quality of life unlike any other in the country. If you’re lucky enough to live in the Granite State then you can probably relate to one, if not all of the following: 1. You or someone in your family has this bumper sticker… New Hampshire is famous for its moose—so much so, that state wildlife officials created a “Break for Moose” campaign featuring this brightly colored bumper sticker. 2. You’ve hiked a mountain and swam in the ocean all in the same day A quick 45-minute ride up Route 16 will get you on top of Mt. Major, where you will ideally take a picture similar to the one below. Once the 3.4-mile hike is over, you can be in a beach chair in no time — ready to soak up the salt water and sunshine along the New Hampshire Seacoast. A photo posted by Marcus Alomar (@marcusxalomar) on May 28, 2015 at 11:07am PDT 3. You mourn a rock formation The Old Man of the Mountain, a series of cliffs that appeared to be the jagged profile of a face, collapsed in 2003 (presumably from old age). His legacy lives on, however, on New Hampshire license plates, drivers licenses, the quarter and other stately memorabilia. The Old Man of the Mountain, we remember him everyday here in Franconia Notch. If you never had a chance to see our state symbol before he fell in 2003, you can see this view at the Old Man Memorial Site at Profile Plaza, exit 34B. A photo posted by Cannon Mountain (@cannonmountain) on Jul 23, 2014 at 8:09am PDT 4. You hear the term “Sales Tax” and this is your reaction New Hampshire is one of five states in the country that doesn’t have a statewide sales tax—meaning if the price tag says $4.99, you pay $4.99. Residents from neighboring states routinely flock to the Granite State to shop at any one of the numerous shopping malls, outlets and retail stores. The lack of sales tax can, however, cause some confusion for NH folk who like to travel across state lines. A photo posted by Settlers’ Green Outlet Village (@settlersgreen) on Aug 22, 2014 at 11:21am PDT 5. You’ve answered a question with “Live Free or Die” You’re definitely from NH if someone asks you why you did something and your response is “Live Free or Die.” The famous saying was coined by New Hampshire’s most famous soldier, General John Stark, and is easily one of the best state mottos in the country. A photo posted by ???? HEARTFULLY HANNA ???? (@heartfullyhanna) on Aug 3, 2015 at 6:42pm PDT 6. You’ve met or have been within arms length of a Presidential candidate As the First in the Nation primary, New Hampshire is a political hotbed for politicians looking to take up residence at The White House. Granite Staters routinely get the chance to meet and question presidential candidates from both sides of the aisle. A photo posted by Liz Frantz (@lizfrantz) on Aug 3, 2015 at 5:35pm PDT 7. You’ve climbed to the top of a mountain… in a car! The Mt. Washington Auto Road is a popular way to climb New Hampshire’s tallest peak. As America’s first and oldest man-made attraction, the winding stretch of road climbs 4,700 feet from the base and reaches more than a mile in the sky to the highest point in the Northeast. A photo posted by Mount Washington Observatory (@mwobs) on Jun 22, 2015 at 8:22pm PDT 8. You purposefully choose not to wear a helmet or a seatbelt because, well, you don’t have to! If you’re over the age of 18 and don’t feel the need to wear a helmet while on a motorcycle or a seatbelt while riding in a car, you don’t have to. But seriously, you should. These laws go hand-in-hand with New Hampshire’s “Live Free or Die” motto, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. 9. Every fall, like clockwork, you wait for the caravan of “Leaf Peepers” to clog the roadways looking for foliage It never fails. Every fall a contingent of leaf peepers hit the road and embark upon an epic trip to view and photograph as much foliage as possible. The state even has a legit Foliage Tracker that allows you to know when and where the leaves are popping. A photo posted by Instagramers New Hampshire (@igersnh) on Oct 10, 2014 at 6:20am PDT 10. You have a love/hate relationship with both Summer and Winter Winter in New Hampshire can be brutal, but it can also be a blessing if you’re a snow bunny who loves to hit the slopes. The same goes for summertime, as the seriously hot weather is great if you love the beach, but can be a bit overbearing. A photo posted by @brettonwoodsnh on Jan 20, 2015 at 10:46am PST 11. You never forget the state’s area code, because it only has one! 603 for life. New Hampshire residents often utter the three digit number area code as an exclamation to indicate pride in their home state. At one point in time the state was at risk of gaining another area code due to increases in population, but regulators assured in 2011 that the 603 will remain the single area code for NH for many years to come. A photo posted by New Hampshire Tourism (@visitnh) on Jun 9, 2014 at 6:06am PDT 12. Liquor Stores In New Hampshire, you get your liquor and wine from the Liquor Store. If you want beer, well you’re out of luck — that’s at the grocery store. This is unique compared to the neighboring states of Maine, where you can pretty much buy all the booze you need in a Rite Aid, or Massachusetts, where you have to visit Package Liquor stores also known as Packies. A photo posted by April Claxton Dechert (@we_are_all_stories) on Aug 1, 2015 at 3:52pm PDT 13. You’ve told someone you’re from the Boston-area when traveling abroad If you’ve ever traveled to a foreign country and told someone you’re from NH then you know the struggle. Surprisingly a lot of people don’t know what New Hampshire is or where it is even located on a map. After a while, it becomes a common practice just to tell the people you meet you’re from Boston. 14. You’ve been to a place called FunSpot, Storyland or Water Country Arcade games, water slides and rollercoasters — oh my! These fantastic family venues are each main staples in NH. If you’re from NH, chances are you’ve either visited one or all of them as a kid, or continue to visit them to this day with your own kids. Also, don’t forget Canobie Lake Park. A photo posted by Big City Moms (@bigcitymoms) on Jun 13, 2015 at 12:17pm PDT 15. The only rock that matters to you is Granite New Hampshire’s main nickname is the Granite State and its official state rock is granite. Why you ask? It’s because there’s a boatload of granite all throughout the state, not to mention the fact that everyone who lives in NH is solid as a rock (of granite). A photo posted by Raphael Francis (@raphy1988) on May 21, 2015 at 10:12am PDT 16. You say “wicked” and it’s totally normal The word “wicked” is not exclusive to New Hampshire — it’s actually in the vernacular of almost everyone who lives in New England. All of the other lists may deem this as a trait unique to New Hampshire, but they’re wrong. Saying “wicked” is wicked common in NH, ME, VT, RI and MA. 17. The sight of a Massachusetts license plate makes you angry New Hampshire folks have this weird sibling rivalry thing going on with neighbors from nearby Massachusetts. Maybe it’s the way they drive, maybe it’s their accents, but anytime a NH resident sees the red hue of a Mass license plate their eyes light up like a raging bull. Regardless, the only thing NH people and Mass folks have in common is a border. It probably doesn’t help that the word “masshole” was deemed a real word earlier this year by Oxford English Dictionary. 18. You avoid Hampton Beach… (or at least you try to). Hampton is actually a super nice and quiet community situated along the coast of New Hampshire. But then there’s Hampton Beach. If you’re from NH then you know to avoid this popular tourist trap between the months of June–August. Lack of parking, overcrowded beaches and the questionable attire make Hampton Beach a unique place to visit. Most Granite Staters tend to stick to the other beaches located along the tiny sliver of coastline. A photo posted by Rich Beauchesne (@photorichierich) on Jun 30, 2015 at 7:20pm PDT New Hampshire is truly one of a kind, and as such, the people who inhabit this great state are also wicked unique. Consistently ranked as one of the best places to live in the country, New Hampshire is truly a great place to live—which is why it should come as no surprise that outsiders from far and wide continue to flood our state looking for a place to call home. This is where we at Blue Water Mortgage Corporation excel. Contact us if you need any help starting the home buying process. We’re always happy to help someone migrate to the great Granite State. Roger Odoardi Roger is an owner and licensed Loan Officer at Blue Water Mortgage. He graduated from the University of New Hampshire’s Whittemore School of Business and has been a leader in the mortgage industry for over 20 years. Roger has personally originated over 2500 residential loans and is considered to be in the top 1% of NH Loan Officers by leading national lender United Wholesale Mortgage.
