23. Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is one of the states remaining on the list that I have spent the least time in, and that truly is a shame.

I haven’t been to Philadelphia, and that is a problem. It’s the biggest city in the US that I haven’t been to, and I know I will love it when I finally make it out there. The history, the culture. This is the place where the founders of our country discussed the ideals that have stood strong for so long (despite that being more debatable now than ever before). I just know it’s going to be a fun time when the worst thing I’ve heard about the city is that they celebrate their sports teams winning a little too hard. Sounds like a people who love their city more than anything.

Pittsburgh, PA in The Last of US

I feel like Pittsburgh gets kind of clowned on, and I don’t really get it. Maybe it’s just the way the city name sounds and its reputation as a mid-America city that you can just “skip over”. But those people are usually those that don’t actually go out of their way to see the best of what America has to offer. I think I dismissed Pittsburgh until I played the video game The Last of Us. The game is set in a post-apocalyptic United States 20 years after a zombie fungus starts to spread, and a large portion of the game is set in Pittsburgh. The Last of Us games are known for their very authentic recreations of American cities and towns, and it really feels like you are walking through the city (granted a mostly destroyed version). But it helped me see a beauty to the City of Bridges that really makes me want to visit.

I feel like central Pennsylvania also gets a bad rep with its nickname “Pennsyltucky”, but most of the state is covered in Appalachian hills, which doesn’t sound so bad to me! I suppose I haven’t been to this part of the state, but if they’re using Kentucky in its nickname as an insult then I’ll probably like it.

Erie, PA

The only part of Pennsylvania I’ve been to is Erie. And it was pretty much just a drive through. I spent the night, but I didn’t even really see what the city had to offer. The area around was really pretty though. Ultimately, I need to really see this state. And I feel really motivated to go, so I think I’ll see you soon, Pennsylvania.