<p>Provincialism is a mindset, thumper. Being in the woods does not MAKE someone provincial, any more than living in a city (even an EAST COAST city) makes people open-minded. There are plenty of provincial people in suburban Connecticut, just as there are in suburban or northwoods Wisconsin. There are also incredibly tolerant and open-minded people in both places. And sorry, but there are plenty of closed-minded people in New York–even Manhattan (perish the thought!).</p>
<p>My kids have had the same experience Pizzagirl describes–with my son, over two years that he and a friend went to a camp in northern California, and with my daughter, the summer she went to a ballet intensive in Philadelphia. Neither of them could believe the kinds of comments they got from kids from the coasts–often, but not limited to, “do you live on a dairy farm?” “how many cows do you have?” “why would you wear those sandals?” “do you have shopping malls?” and so on. Thankfully, both of them had enough self-esteem (and good manners) to just “smile and nod,” as they say on this site. :)</p>