Five Things You Only Understand if You’re From Boise

There are certain things about Boise that you may only understand if you live here.

Every city in America, large or small, has it's own set of idiosyncrasies that are best understood if you are actually FROM there. It's okay if you DON'T understand, but don't question the ideals, attitudes, or quirks...unless you've been there long enough to figure them out. Usually, once you do, you'll go....okay....I get it.

Here are five things you may not understand about Boise unless you are from here.

1 - NO Z:  Probably our single biggest issue. How many times have you heard people say "Boy-Zee?".  There's no Z in Boise. Ask Jewell, she even wrote a song about it!

Dropping a "Z" in Boise, is like saying "Chicago is in Illinoice" or "Louise-ianna".

2 - THE BRONCOS ARE NOT INVISIBLE ON THE BLUE TURF: What a cool trick THAT would be. "It's an unfair advantage!" cry the haters. Saying the Broncos disappear on the blue turf when they wear their blue uniforms is like us saying EVERY team that wears GREEN...disappears on their field. Please.

"Wait! Who is making that Wyoming player fall down? It's like he tripped on something that's not there! Whaaa?...so weird!"

3 - WE KNOW OUR TRAFFIC ISN'T AS BAD AS OTHER MAJOR CITIES: But it's OUR traffic, and we'll complain about it if we want to! It wasn't that long ago that Eagle Road was a two lane highway from I-84 all the way to Eagle. You could pheasant hunt all over that area now lined with box stores, shopping centers and subdivisions. Let us have our moments of complaining about the traffic. It's our way of dealing with the growth in valley. We get our fill of YOUR traffic when we visit your big city, and it makes us come back home and appreciate ours....for a few days, anyway.

4 - WE'RE PRETTY DAMN PROUD OF OUR CITY: I once had someone tell me that Boise was just too "redneck" for them. When I asked what he meant, he said, "you know, people drive trucks, and they have gun racks, and they go hunting and fishing, drink beer....and...you know...redneck type stuff."  Oh, that. Guess I'M a redneck then. I do those things, yes.

I also enjoy cooking, good wine, classical and jazz music, fine art, and looking at the amazing sunrises and sunsets we get here. I hadn't realized I should be in counseling for the very confused redneckedness in me. Thanks for straightening me out. I have an appointment next month. I would have gotten in sooner, but the counselor was on vacation in Alaska...fishing.

5- WE DON'T CARE: We don't care if you don't like our city. MOST of us that are native to Boise love the lifestyle. The outdoors are amazing. The opportunities here are pretty good. It's a great place to raise kids. We have great restaurants and night life. We have some pretty great shopping. It's a day's drive from the Oregon coast or Seattle, heck...even Las Vegas if you go an extra hour or two (that's based on the speed limit down 95...and that's all I'll say about that). You can get on a plane in Boise in the morning and step off that afternoon in Cancun. Sure, we have our share of growing pains, but we deal with them.

Listen, we DO want you to like our city. We just don't care if you don't. If I told you I don't like the city YOU live in, you may take offense as well. I would understand why.

So if you look at Boise from the outside and "just don't get it"....that's okay. We'll just continue to let you be slightly confused and continue to say "Boy-zee."  Doesn't mean we don't love ya. It just means you haven't spent enough time here yet.