Wednesday, June 12, 2013

it's where i live. {influence link up}

today i'm linking up with the lovely ladies of the influence network to share a little bit about where i live!

 


in the fall of 1991 i was an 8th grader at wilde lake middle school in columbia, md.  
one day when i came home from school, my parents informed me that we would be moving shortly to hanover, pennsylvania.  
in that moment, in my 12 year old mind, my world came crashing down around me. 
hanover was not unfamiliar to me, as the majority of my mom's side of the family lived there.
i had visited hanover many, many times.
to me, it was a great place to visit, but definitely not a place that my family should live.

nevertheless, that october, we made the move.  
in my dad's words, moving to hanover was a lot like stepping into a black and white movie. 
it was NOTHING like where i was from!
i experienced a good dose of culture shock and from then on i looked forward to the day that i would move away to go to college and then some big city, 
only to return to celebrate holidays with my family.
there was no way i would be settling down & calling this place my home. 

fast forward twenty some years.....


want to guess where i live now?

isn't it funny how things like that work out?

i did go away to college {though only 45 minutes away}, and i did move to philly for about 3 years. however, when i got laid off from my job, i ended up coming back home.  
i thought maybe this move might be temporary, but that move was 10 years ago this summer.  
i never thought i would say it, but this little town has grown on me and i've come to love living here.

my fondest memories of living here would have to be all the time i got to spend with my cousins and extended family. in high school if i wasn't hanging out with my friends from youth group, you could probably find me at my cousins' house rubbing my craziness off on her daughters. 


just the other day my husband and i were in maryland to get his computer fixed, and we commented on how we much we appreciated our life in hanover. 
{again, never thought i would say that!}
we move at a much slower pace.
i feel safe here. 
{i try to steer clear of walmart because it can be a little scary there, but....}
i'm totally ok with leaving our car doors unlocked and sometimes even our house. 
i can drive almost anywhere in town and pass someone that i know.
i have 5 families of relatives that live within 2 square miles of my house, including my parents. 
it's true that there is not a whole lot to do here, but compared to other places i've lived, life just seems a little simpler here.
and i've come to enjoy this.

this little town certainly has is flaws, but the Lord has given us a heart for this town.
i believe we are here at this time for a purpose.
i believe we are here for such a time as this. 

{and to be perfectly honest, as long as my parents are here, it's going to take a miracle for me to leave!}



 i really wanted to share some "fun facts" about hanover, but really the most interesting thing you should know is this:

 Hanover is known as the snack food capital of the US. 
We are home to at least 6 chip/pretzel companies. 
maybe you've heard of these?



oh and only in hanover would you find this:


3 "hot weiner" shops within a few miles of each other.

so, if you're ever in the area, stop by, we can grab some chips and a hotdog, and i'll show you around!


22 comments:

  1. That's so cool that a "ruin your life move" ended up being just the right thing for you!

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    1. So true! My 8th grade self would definitely be shocked!

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  2. We moved here from Philly when I was 11, so I can totally relate to how you felt about that. It was a nice place to visit like you said (we camped at Codorus at least once a year when I was little), but it was not a place my preteen self wanted to move. Like you though, I came to live it. Amazing things (and bad experiences, too) have happened to me since living here. Living out here-which let's face it, next to Philly is pretty nuch the middle of nowhere ;-) - really kept me out of trouble, I think. And it was our move here, being ripped away from friends and family, that really taught me to rely on the Lord and that he is my one true always remaining, never failing friend. Now, I don't ever want to live anywhere else, unless my parents were to move, but Fred's whisking us away to Kansas in like 2-4 weeks- which next to Hanover IS the middle of nowhere. LOL.
    Oh, and ironically, we moved here for my dad's job... at Snyder's pretzels. ;-) haha.
    Thanks for sharing your story. Hanover is pretty great. :)

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    1. Wow! Kansas! I'm glad that you and Fred will finally be back together, but yeah, Kansas is definitely the middle of nowhere. I've been praying for you all and will continue to do so!

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  3. I forgot about the Texas Weiner place! Definite yumminess. I enjoyed my short time in Hanover, although we were looked at as outsiders---which we were. There was a part of me that hated we were one of those people that were living in a development that was a former farm. Granted I didn't force a family to sell their farm, but coming from a small town in NE Pa, I know the feeling of having things change from what they used to be when life was simpler. I really miss the smell of the potato chips...but definitely not Spring Grove! EWWW... :)

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    1. I forgot that you lived in Hanover at one time. Thankfully where we are we don't get the drifts of Spring Grove because you are right, it is awful!

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  4. Oh, I love the pictures you took! I lived in a super small town for about 4 years, and I agree that there is something to be treasured about the simplicity of living in a small town. Nice to meet you via the link up today!

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  5. It's so funny how God's plan often looks nothing like our own. But is oh, so much better!!

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  6. Where exactly is Hanover in relation to Philly or to Lancaster? That's really the only two general places I know in PA. Nice to meet you btw!

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    1. Hanover is about an hour SW of Lancaster and 2 hours from Philly. We are very close to the MD line.

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  7. moving at that age seems terrible (we are about to do it to both of our daughters!). I love the Texas Weiner place, simple is awesome, and Walmart should totally be avoided at ALL costs! Great post about your town!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by. I'll be honest, it was rough moving at that age, but once we got plugged into a church, it was so much better!

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  8. I miss my Utz salt and pepper and crab chips!! I'm from Philly, now in Chicago. Loved the pictures! Pennsylvania really is one of the most beautiful states in the country. I miss it a lot.

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    1. Yeah, it is a beautiful state with a lot to offer. Chicago, btw, is my favorite city ever!

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  9. Love the all the pics! Small towns take some getting used to but they are totally worth it!

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    1. It's so funny how living in small changes you because I never thought I would agree!

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  10. It always cracks me up that in that last photo of The Famous Hot Weiner they have two signs right next to each other that are spelled "weiner" and "wiener". hmmm...

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    1. You're right! Only in Hanover....
      BTW, your photo the other day on IG totally made me crave the hotdog shop & I haven't been there in years! (I don't think Mike has ever been, which is pretty much unheard of since he's lived in Hanover for 4 years now!)

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