Ain't Minnesota Great?

Well, it's been a month since I've moved to Minnesota, and two months for Mitch.  While many of you probably know that it was Mitch's job that brought us up here, there are also a lot of really great things about moving to the Twin Cities.  Here's a few reasons why we love our new state and think it will work out better for us than if we had stayed in Chicago:

1.  It's not so damn hot here.

2.  We have a park, tennis courts, and a pond within walking distance.  In fact, there are parks and lakes galore up here!

3.  We both have jobs.  Thank goodness.

4.  There are trees everywhere.  And hills.  It's beautiful.

5.  It only takes fifteen minutes to get to The Mall.

6.  Gas is cheap.  Really cheap.  And you can get coupons for gas when you shop at Cub Foods.  Sweet!

7.  Mitch's family is close by.  (His parents are really close right now!)

8.  No look-a-like subdivisions without mature trees like in Plainfield.  The neighborhoods here are beautiful and hilly and there are trees everywhere.

9.  Leann Chin, the greatest fast-food Chinese restaurant of all-time.  It's seriously awesome.

10. You can be in downtown St. Paul or Minneapolis within the half hour.  Both cities have museums, theatres, symphony orchestras, and great nightlife, just like Chicago.  

11. Houses are ridiculously cheap, so we can buy one big enough for all three readers of Fifty Below Zero to stay in, with room to spare.

12. The school systems are significantly better than in Illinois, both to teach in and to have (currently nonexistent) kids attend.  

13. The humidity level has been really low this summer, keeping my hair from frizzing out like crazy.

14. We have become significantly more active since moving - lots of running, walking, tennis playing, and general enjoyment of the parks and lakes.  In fact, we've both lost some weight!

15. It only takes twenty minutes to get to the airport.

16. We can get a plethora of new brews up here that we couldn't get in Illinois - specifically, Leinie's Light (VERY delicious), seasonal varieties of Fat Tire, and Grain Belt Premium.

17. We can spoil our niece like crazy, and hopefully teach her to appreciate the fine art of shoe shopping.  (She's a bit of a tomboy at times)

18. Lot sizes are on average about a third of an acre or larger in the suburbs.  And hilly.  And covered with trees.  Have I mentioned that yet?

19. The Great Minnesota Get-Together - also known as the State Fair - is going on right now! (Soon-to-be blog post about the event, once we go next week.)  Rumor has it you can get about a billion foods on a stick.  Those pounds won't be gone for long, I guess!

20.  We have reconnected with several of Mitch's old friends now that we're back in the area.

We're both really happy to be at this stage in our life, and are excited at the possibilites that will present themselves to us in the next few months as we buy a house and get settled into a normal life again, whatever that may be.  I need to mention (so that my mother doesn't cry as she reads this) that there are certainly things that we miss about Illinois, which I'll blog about later when I am feeling sad.  There are always pluses and minuses to every situation and decision that one makes in life, and there have been days when I have wanted to go back to the comfort and familiarity of our life in Illinois.  That life, though, was not what we wanted for ourselves, and the opportunities that were there (or rather, lack of) were not what each of us has worked so hard for.  Here we can achieve the life we've imagined since getting married over six years ago.  We've chosen to take risks, accept change as it comes, chose a positive attitude on life and all that it has to offer.  Isn't that what life is all about?  How exciting!