Welcome. I think you will find that your experience in Laramie, or anywhere for that matter, is going to depend significantly on what your expectations are.
Laramie is obviously going to be quite different from most of Maryland. The weather, the people, the things you can do for fun/hobbies, the pace of life, etc are going to differ from place to place. If you are open to new experiences and not set on wanting to do the same things you do in Maryland, then you can thrive anywhere, including Laramie. Most of the advantages to living in Laramie, and Wyoming in general, are the outdoor opportunities it offers. If you don't like doing things outdoors, sometimes in less than ideal weather conditions, then you probably won't have a lot of fun in Laramie. There is good fishing, hiking, snowmobiling, climbing, skiing, and snow shoeing all within a few hours of Laramie.
Yes, it gets very cold in Laramie in the winter, but that isn't the worst part - it's the wind. Wyoming is a pretty windy state and it doesn't take much wind to make a brisk day a whole hell of a lot more unpleasant. Summers in Laramie are beautiful - some of the best summer weather in the entire country in my opinion. It's a shame so many students don't stick around to enjoy the summers. Jubilee days is a rodeo/parade/carnival that takes place typically in early July. Everyone will tell you to go to Cheyenne Frontier Days - personally, I like the smaller local rodeo's like Jubilee days a lot more.
Probably also not a surprise to you - people in Wyoming are, on average, much more conservative than on the east coast. I have no idea what your political leanings are, but a word of advice if I may...don't let differences in political opinions shape who you are friends with or the people you talk to. You will miss out on a lot of really meaningful personal relationships if you let you political leanings dictate your interpersonal relationships.
When I attended UW as an undergraduate, both of my roommates were from Maryland - Baltimore to be exact. They both absolutely embraced Laramie and ended up loving their time in Wyoming because of it. It really is up to you to decide whether you will have a good time here or not.
