"L'etoile Du Nord (The Star of the North)" -Minnesota State Motto
My wife and I moved to Minnesota in 2011. It's only been been five years (six in August) but it feels like it's been longer than that. Not necessarily in a bad way, it just seems like a lifetime ago we packed up a U-Haul and left Kansas. Since moving here, we have lived in three different places, each an upgrade from the previous. From a shitty one bedroom apartment, to a two bedroom townhouse, to the house we bought in October. All of them have been in different cities, but all within twenty five to thirty minutes from each other. I don't think living here really felt permanent until we bought our house. When you're renting, you have the ability to eventually pick up and move when you feel the need. You just have to deal with a lease and wait for it to run out while renting.
I made the joke the year I switched over my license plates and driver's license that I was officially a Minnesotan. It was a good long while before that actually happened because I had to renew my plates the month before we left Kansas so I drove with Kansas plates for about a year. It would have been a waste of money to change my plates so soon after moving to Minnesota. The one thing that was truly missing from my Minnesota repertoire was some sort of clothing. No better way to show where you're from than slapping it on a shirt or a hat, am I right? So, problem solved...
It's just a small thing, but I feel like this makes me a true Minnesotan. Having an article of clothing makes it so. You won't see me sporting a Twins jersey or a Vikings hat because they are divisional rivals of the Tigers and Lions respectively. And you won't see me wear anything with the Timberwolves logo because, well, basketball. Eventually I might buy something with the Wild logo on it. They are no longer in the same conference as the Red Wings, let alone a division. It'd be nice to show support for a professional team here.
Michigan will always be home. Always be where I'm from if anyone ever asks me. You cannot deny your home state, even if it embarrasses you from time to time *coughcough2016electioncoughcough*. If someone asked me where I'm from I'd say I live in Minnesota, but I'm from Michigan. However, Minnesota has become a bit of an adopted state. We no longer make casseroles, we make hot dish. We haven't fully adopted 'uff-da' quite yet, but we fully understand it. We eat Jucy Lucy burgers, but not brave enough to try lutefisk. We've driven 'Up North' for a weekend getaway and spent some time in the Twin Cities. Of course we have been to the Great Minnesota Get Together and ate too much food there. And if you listen closely, you might be able to hear in the distance the chant 'one of us. one of us.' coming from the state.
Michigan will always be home. Always be where I'm from if anyone ever asks me. You cannot deny your home state, even if it embarrasses you from time to time *coughcough2016electioncoughcough*. If someone asked me where I'm from I'd say I live in Minnesota, but I'm from Michigan. However, Minnesota has become a bit of an adopted state. We no longer make casseroles, we make hot dish. We haven't fully adopted 'uff-da' quite yet, but we fully understand it. We eat Jucy Lucy burgers, but not brave enough to try lutefisk. We've driven 'Up North' for a weekend getaway and spent some time in the Twin Cities. Of course we have been to the Great Minnesota Get Together and ate too much food there. And if you listen closely, you might be able to hear in the distance the chant 'one of us. one of us.' coming from the state.
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