The Lakes
Lake Michigan is so beyond beautiful that it makes anything near it amazing by association. All the beach towns down to just the tiny stretch of woods with a small pathway leading to the beach are perfect. I love staring out to the endless water and feeling pure peace and serenity. My favorite spot is by far the sand climb on the Sleeping Bear Dunes. You don’t even have to do the dune climb. Just drive up and watch. I could sit there for hours looking out high above the water from a spot that looks just like a cliff but feeling safe knowing its actually a VERY steep incline.
The People
I have friends everywhere but none of my friends out in Colorado, Wisconsin, Mexico, Brazil, Toronto, etc are like my friends here. There’s something that changes when a friend group grows up together which is a very common occurrence in small towns. Also, the people in the Midwest are so talkative. We gossip, we talk, we comment, and we question, and we answer. That kind of openness from anyone you meet, even after a day, leads to trust and connection.
The Winter
I can’t imagine Christmas without snow or making it through school in January without snow days. That one year we had an entire month off of school because the temperature was so severe. Having a winter birthday and sledding and ice fishing with friends. Ice cream cakes which you don’t need to find space for the freezer, just cover it and place it out on the porch. Waking up to see a notification from friends saying “schools canceled, wanna hang out?” knowing driving at 3mph to not slide off the road will be worth it for the hang out. Even better, when you’re hanging out on a Sunday evening, sad the hangout will soon be over when you get a call to find out school’s off on Monday and you can finally have that sleepover.
The “Accents”
I thought Michiganders don’t have accents until I watched the Unknown Number documentary and laughed so hard realizing we totally do, we just can’t tell. I love a Wisconsin and Minnesota accent. Nothing like getting in trouble with someone from Minnesota and trying to stay serious while they scream in their borderline Canadian accent.
Faygo
Eight cans of vanilla cream soda for $3 and a 6% sales tax!
The big cities
Detroit, Chicago, Grand Rapids. You’ll drive by fields and lakes with nothing to see for hours until suddenly you look up and there’s skyscrapers and overpasses. I love how if small town life feels small there’s places you can go to feel closer to the rest of the world. Look at a museum, watch a play, see a concert, feel the crowds at a baseball game. You can have all of that or live half an hour away and not have any of it and that’s just the vibe. Makes you appreciate it more when you’re away.
The small cities
The bush! I love going out to Rosebush where one of my friends lives. You drive just two miles out of town and suddenly the stars are bright, the sunrises are beautiful, and the sunsets are even stronger. I love having bonfires out there where we can scream and no one will be irritated. I love accidentally taking the wrong turn and going through the downtowns. They’re like 5 shops on each side and rows and rows of American flags. The roads have potholes so deep they lead to China and the dirt roads get so dusty, you’ll leave the car like a pig if the windows are down.
Thoughts, Prayers, and Feelings 