Midwestern Mood

Growing up, I never thought I wanted to stay in the Midwest my whole life. I've always had a travel bug and a need to explore the world, meet new people and see new and interesting parts of our country that I hadn't been so accustomed to in small Midwestern towns. As a result, I figured I would want to live somewhere other than Wisconsin someday. Someplace "prettier", "more fun", with "better people", etc.

Now it has been a year since I've been living outside of the Midwest in Florida. I've traveled more than most 25 year olds have, having been to all but 9 states and left the country 5 times, having been to a total of 7 different countries. The experiences I have gained outside of the Midwest have been extremely valuable, enlightening and mostly all wonderful experiences. But it has also given me an all new appreciation for the place I call home.

It really makes me sad and frustrated when I hear people trash talking Wisconsin (or other Midwest states), especially if you're from there and have never left, because you really don't know how great you have it. There's a sense of community there that you really do not get outside of the Midwest. I've been and stayed a lot of places, and can truly speak from personal experience on this.

Midwesterners are just good people. Not saying that the rest of the country/world has bad people, and also not saying that the Midwest only has good people. But the hospitality you get from people from the Midwest is unlike that you receive really anywhere else. People genuinely care about each other.

I highly encourage everyone to develop their own path, explore our country, see the world, gain knowledge and experience in whatever way seems fit. If you have a great opportunity that requires you to leave home for awhile, by all means heed that opportunity. You can learn so much about where you're from by simply leaving for awhile. But never forget where you're rooted, and never take for granted the good you've always had. Wisconsin is the only place that will ever truly feel like home to me. No matter where my travels take me, my job, my significant other, my future children... I'll always be a Midwestern girl at heart.

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