A very quick, dramatic, and eventful six months passed, during which I moved out of the South for the very first time in my life, to join Matt's family and thick-blooded brethren in the great, mysterious state of Michigan.
I'd never known anyone from Michigan before I met Matt a fateful three and a half years ago. As a born and raised Southerner, the states of the midwest held little glamour to me, so all I'd ever absorbed prior to that point are - "It has lakes." Granted, I'm known to get lost taking a wrong turn to the grocery store I've been visiting for two years, so I'd never claim geography to be my strong suit. I'd been dating my now-husband for less than a year when regular cable started to offer Michigan's last stand to survive the flunk of American auto in the early-2000's by targeting none other than tourism.
I remember watching those commercials with skepticism and a look of split pea soup on my face - "You've got to be kidding me. Why on God's Green Earth would anyone ever go to Michigan? Willingly?!"
Apparently I would.
I got the same response from several co-workers when I turned in my notice. Ironically, the most common culprit to spout the phrase - former Michiganders. "WHY would you go there?" The owner and CEO of my prior employer, who is also a Detroit-native, expanded further when I told him my husband missed his home state:
"Which part? The awful weather, the corrupt politics, or the terrible condition of the roads?"
My fellow Southerners responded with a brilliant observation: "It's cold there."
Well-spotted.
After all of that encouragement, you can imagine how excited I was to pack up our life and drive 900 miles to my new home in Michigan.
BUT, I'm a survivor. I learned a little over a year into Matt's time in command that I have to learn to make the best of each situation and find the joy, happiness, adventure.
So, with the help of my own in-house expert, I formulated a Bucket List - an itemized list of things I'd like to accomplish in Michigan. And, because I believe in documentation, I will be sharing my journey as a South Carolina Girl in surviving this ferocious Yankee state, in the hopes that in the very least, I may help Michiganders laugh at my fate, and Carolinians to affirm their aversion to the North.
1. Visit and hike the Sleeping Bear Dunes.
2. Not just taste, but experience, a fresh fish fry.
3. Go snowmobiling for the first, and undoubtedly last, time ever.
4. Make an attempt to see - and photograph - the Northern Lights.
5. Learn how to make Michigan Four Berry Pie.
6. Learn how to make Southern Biscuits. (Because I'm #SCProud no matter where I am, dammit.)
7. Visit Mackinac Island, eat fudge.
8. Try a Coney Dog. (Which apparently is not exclusive to NY.)
9. Visit Frankenmouth/ Bronner's. Eat Bavarian Chicken Dinner.
10. See the Tulip Festival in Holland.
11. See the Cherry Festival in Traverse City, and eat cherries until I'm sick.
12. Figure out what all this "Faygo" nonsense is about.
13. Learn if Euchre truly exists, and play it (if it is, in fact, not a myth.)
14. Eat fresh Paczki (and memorize how to spell it).
15. Use my hand to describe where we live. (Correctly.)
16. Experience and document a true Michigan Autumn.
17. Visit Silver Lake Park.
18. Snow shovel.
19. Walk on a solidly frozen lake.
20. See a show at the Fox Theater.
Michiganders and MI enthusiasts (assuming those exist), tell me - what have I missed?