I didn’t grow up listening to country music. My parents probably couldn’t name one Merle Haggard or Waylon Jennings song, and probably couldn’t even tell you who they are. I never lived on a farm, and the only Ford I ever drove was a hand-me-down 1994 Explorer. Which got me thinking, what’s country enough to be considered country?
It’s a popular debate that I run into anytime I claim, “I’m country…really!” Most of the time people just look at me and say, “You’re from Connecticut, you’re not country.” Well, let me tell you about Eastern Connecticut. The University of Connecticut (where I go to school) used to be called the Connecticut Agricultural College. It was founded for the purpose of educating sons and daughters of Connecticut farmers about new techniques to help flourish the state’s farms. You’ll find rolling hills, open fields of land, and many stone walls if you take a drive around Eastern Connecticut. What’s more country than that?
Here’s a pic overlooking UConn’s notable Horsebarn Hill:
Yes, we may be one of the most liberal states in the country, but we still appreciate good country music. After a visit to the nation’s capital, country duo Brooks & Dunn were asked a similar question of Washington, D.C., which was my home for the last few summers. 
“It’s definitely a country town,” Kix Brooks told Politico.
The question came about over the band’s hit, “Only in America.” The song was a popular tune on the Bush campaign tour and was also played at the end of President Obama’s convention speech in Denver. Two men from opposite sides of the isle using the same song. Brooks & Dunn, who consider themselves fairly conservative, had no problem allowing Democrats to use the song. 
“I was honored,” Brooks told Politico.
And so, I’ve decided that it’s not about where you are on a map, rather, it’s a way of life and being able to relate to the lyrics. I may not be from the south but I am certainly country.
Listen to “Only in America.”
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