I like to believe my observational skills are exceptional. I'm not just a wanderer in this world; I actively absorb my surroundings. So, when I compile a list like this, get ready for a treat. I include some obvious selections, but you'll also discover something that might not have crossed your mind yet makes perfect sense.

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Just in case the message didn't quite hit home: I'm pretty awesome.

10 Things You Will Find in Every Connecticut Home

Connecticut is a diverse array of people and places; we're not the stereotypical individuals the rest of the country imagines us to be. With a myriad of cultures and distinctions, we also share many similarities. Here are 10 things you're bound to find in every Connecticut home.

Gallery Credit: Lou Milano

Honorable Mentions

Gloves/Hats - Look, it's cold outside for like 10 months out of the year. This would have been the #1 item in every cold weather state, but I did not feel the need to emphasize the obvious.

Sperry's - Excellent and regal wear for the boat, the beach, and beyond; the Sperry is so Connecticut.

Shovel - Again, with the cold.

Firewood - You want to get warm when it's cold.

Old Lake Compounce fliers - I swear I saw one of these fliers on my kitchen counter this morning.

Old Mystic Aquarium Tickets - Mystic as a town is a default addition to every lifestyle list that has anything to do with Connecticut, so I buried it at the bottom. What do you want from me? I'm either a huge jerk or a contrarian; you decide.

Target Bags - I think the Target bag has probably eclipsed the Stew's bag, but I feel that Target is more of a national brand and Stew's is more Tri-State local.

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10 Animals You Cannot Keep in the State of Connecticut

There is an animal lover in all of us, but owning certain animals requires reason. In the State of Connecticut, you cannot own any of these animals as pets, and that's just fine by me.

Gallery Credit: Lou Milano

Top 10 States Connecticut People Are Moving To

According to 24/7 Wall Street "An estimated 88,733 Americans left Connecticut in 2022 for a different part of the country." Where are they headed? These are the Top 10 Places Connecticut People are Moving To according to 24/7

Gallery Credit: Lou Milano

10 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods, in Connecticut's Highest Crime City

Those of us who live in Connecticut know, this place is NOT what the rest of the country thinks it is. We have folks struggling to get by, we have crime, drugs and very dangerous neighborhoods. Recently, I set out to find the most dangerous city in Connecticut and I got a lot more detail than I bargained for. After determining Hartford was the city with the most violent crime, I was able to find the specific places that are the most dangerous within the city. These are the 10 Most Dangerous Places in Hartford according to the Connecticut Bail Bonds Group.

Gallery Credit: Lou Milano

In the Shadows of Wealth: Connecticut's 10 Most Impoverished Neighborhoods

The pockets of wealth in Connecticut are off the charts and that is the perception of our state in the rest of the country. Many Americans from other regions make assumptions about life in the Nutmeg State that we know are far from the truth. There are pristine communities where the rich and the powerful play with their toys and then there is everyone else. That division, that difference is extreme but for some it must seem even more desperate. These are the communities they don't tell people about, Connecticut's 10 Most Impoverished Neighborhoods.

Gallery Credit: Lou Milano

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