Living in "The County"

One thing you all should know about living in Northern Maine is that people (for the most part) are proud. They're proud they live here, and proud they're from here. Don't ask me why. Littletown is located in the heart of Aroostook county, otherwise known as The County. According to Wikipedia, it is the Northernmost county in the state of Maine, the largest county in the state, and the largest county in the country (East of the Mississippi). The population is around 71,000 which seems absurd to me. Mostly because I can't imagine that more than 10 people would want to live here, nevermind 71,000 of them. 

The County is known for, as we know, potatoes and farming. And who knew farmers could be so conservative?! Apparently The County has certain priorities, which include rejecting same-sex marriage and promoting pot-use. Facts that boggle my mind as to why I still continue living here. But that is tangential to my point. Another interesting tidbit is that since the 90's, the people of Aroostook county have wanted to secede from the state of Maine and make The County its own state. I really wish you could see me rolling my eyes as I'm typing this, dear reader. 

The County is not diverse. At all. "The racial makeup of the county was 96.80% White, 0.38% Black or African American, 1.36% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. 0.60% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race"(Wikipedia). I know those are a lot of numbers, but to sum up: there is no sort of cultural diversity here whatsoever. Which, to me, is boring and sad. 

What else is boring and sad, you ask? The fact that very few people here have left the area. Some people have never left the state of Maine, or even left The County. Others have never left these United States. A few people of my acquaintance have stated that they have no desire to live, travel, or vacation in a place that is not in Maine. No desire to explore the United States, or the rest of the damn world. Personally, I cannot wrap my mind around this. I have been lucky enough to be able to visit many places in and outside of the U.S. I have been exposed to different cultures, food, music, religion, and so on. I've seen amazing architecture, ruins, priceless works of art, and breathtaking landscapes. From all of these things, I've been able to expand my mind and learn things I never would have in school or online. 

What I don't understand is, how can someone be satisfied by being in the same place for their whole life? How can a person not want to see the world and all the variety and beauty it offers? All I know is that I could never live here forever. I'll shove off from this conservative, monotone, potato-filled island and sail on to a place where there is civilization. But until I do, stay tuned for more "From Away: An Outsider in Northern Maine".