Why Living in Minnesota Makes You a Better Person

Uffda Minnesota.

I personally love winter, but I’m sure many of us Minnesotans are starting to feel the mental effects of extremely cold temps, massive amounts of snow and getting a bit stir crazy being stuck inside. Let me reassure you that living in Minnesota makes you one kickass person.

This post is by no means saying that those who aren’t Minnesotan are not great people too! I simply thought it would be fun to shine some humor and positivity on life here in the land of (more than) 10,000 lakes, especially during a time of the year when negativity can creep in. And, for those that think living here is crazy…well, maybe, but I think the positives outweigh the negatives. I can’t speak for everyone, but Ya Betcha, I love Minnesota and I believe it builds character and brings out the greatness in people. So, here are five reasons that living in Minnesota makes you a better person.

Endurance

Minnesotans endure extreme weather. Luckily, we don’t have to worry about earthquakes and hurricanes, BUT we do have to find ways to get through -50 degree days and 100+ degree days. Living here tests our minds and bodies to push through. To push through the fact that it’s so cold and windy that our skin goes numb just running out to get the mail or it’s so hot and humid that we thought the patio waitress forgot to put ice in our water. Polar vortex or heat advisory, we just get up and keep living life.

Pride

With endurance comes a sense of pride. Not cocky, just proud. It’s like when you finish running a long distance race. You were confronted with waves of emotions and feelings throughout the run. Hot, cold, tired, bored, unsure, annoyed, in pain, wanting to give up, etc, but you pushed through and endured everything that was thrown at you. What do you feel? Proud!! I personally want to give myself a pat on the back when I shovel five inches of snow off the driveway in negative degree weather when it’s still snowing; all by myself! It’s cold, it hurts, it’s tiring, but I finished it.

Minnesotans aren’t only proud of surviving harsh conditions, but we are proud of all the wonderful things about life here. Winter and summer sports, outdoor activities, lakes, trails, hot dishes, every kind of food on a stick, breweries and the cultural and art events throughout the year just to name a few. Oh, and the Mall of America I guess? Whatever the situation is, Minnesota has so much to offer and long, cold winters are all worth it (I’m sure there are many people who would rather never live through another Minnesota winter again though). And, I’m not sure where else a person can find everything from cribbage boards to baby onesies in the shape of their state like in Minnesota.

Acceptance

Minnesota is full of surprises so living here builds acceptance for whatever comes our way. We learn to accept the fact that sometimes we don’t get much of a spring or fall because the weather goes from hot to cold and vice versa with only a few days of perfect 70 degree weather. We stay positive through the long winters in hopes that we will be rewarded with a refreshing spring. And then…we get dumped with a crazy blizzard at the end of April!

Or when traffic moves 5 mph because the roads are covered in ice and you really want to plow past everyone because heaven forbid you need to be somewhere more important than they do. But, all you can do it accept that you won’t be going anywhere soon, relax and throw on a podcast.

Circumstances can piss us off or we can accept it and laugh about it. It’s a good reminder that expectations don’t usually work in our favor. We better accept it because it’s out of our control anyway.

Positivity and Gratitude

I was standing in line at a store the other day and the cashier asked a customer, “How are the roads out there?” In his Sorel boots and puffy North Face jacket he replied, “They aren’t great, but the sun is out and it’s not as cold as yesterday!” Now, that’s the attitude buddy! More often than not, I sense this same mindset from most Minnesotans I encounter. Living in Minnesota forces us to stay positive and be grateful for what is great about each day. And to take advantage of all the beautiful days we do have throughout the year.

Each day seems to be a surprise so everything seems relative. It took me two hours to drive 14 miles to work the other day, so I was so grateful for my one hour commute yesterday-well, at least it didn’t seem as bad. 40 degree weather may seem unbearable to people who live in warmer states, but to us, that means windows cracked open and a well-deserved car wash; even if we have to wait an hour in line, we are just so happy to be able to get one! It means being able to go outside for a walk in a light jacket and not having to let the car run for 10 minutes prior to leaving. It’s hope that spring may be just around the corner? Better get that grill fired up and the bonfire pit cleaned out.

Kindness

This is one of my favorite aspects about Minnesotans and why I feel so proud of where I am from. I’ve heard a few visitors or people who have moved here from out of state that have said they haven’t really experienced the “Minnesota Nice.” My response to that is well heck, maybe they haven’t stayed long enough or you caught someone on a bad day.

We may ‘beat around the bush’ or tend to be ‘passive aggressive’ when expressing our wants and needs, but I think Minnesotans are warm and kind-hearted in many aspects. It just takes us a little longer to understand what someone is really asking for since it’s typically “rude” to be upfront.

If someone’s car is stuck in the snow, we all know what it’s like to be in that situation so, if possible, we take a break in our day to help them out. Our neighbors share their advantage of having a snow blower when all we have is a plastic shovel. Living here in Minnesota teaches us to be compassionate for others because let’s face it, we are all in the winter struggle together.

I LOVE adventure which is why I absolutely love Minnesota. There are always challenges, which can be true anywhere in the world I ‘spose,’ but I think that makes us all better people. Minnesota teaches us endurance when we want to give up. It makes us proud for not giving up. It teaches us acceptance when we truly understand that the weather is completely out of our control. We learn to be positive and grateful each day-because it’s probably been worse. And we learn to be kind.

So, while we sit, stuck inside the house, let’s reflect on what better people we are becoming and how kickass it is to live in Minnesota! Now, get out there and get that driveway cleaned up 😉

What do you love about living in Minnesota?