Minneapolis, Minnesota is the place I call home. There are quite a few things only those who are from Minneapolis will understand, here’s just a few.
1. You get made fun of by your accent.
People who aren't from Minnesota will never let you live down the way you say "bag" or the way you pronounce your "o’s."
2. You spend your summers at cabins, lake houses and in the lakes.
Minnesota may not be near any oceans, but the thousands of lakes (11,842 lakes, to be exact) sure do make up for it. Tubing, water skiing, tanning by the lake, fishing and swimming. Who even needs the ocean? Not us Minnesotans.
3. You've been asked, “So, what’s there to do in Minnesota anyway?”
I believe the question they meant to ask is, “What isn’t there to do in Minnesota?” Minneapolis offers such a wide variety of things to do all throughout the year. There are museums, music, a musical theater scene, concerts, sports, sightseeing, hiking and so much more. If you’re bored, you’re doing something wrong.
4. You've spent a few late nights, or early mornings, at Black: Coffee and Waffle Bar.
5. You’ve taken pictures at the Stone Arch Bridge.
The Stone Arch Bridge is a place where many go to take senior or prom pictures. With the background of the Minneapolis high-rise buildings, Mississippi River and beautiful stone bridge, it’s a perfect place to snap a few pictures.
6. The fair is something you look forward to all year.
They don’t call it "The Great Minnesotan Get Together" for nothing. To Minnesotans, the fair means eating as much food as you possibly can, buying a bunch of random stuff at all of the different stands that you don't actually need, walking around for hours in the heat, riding fair rides and feeling nauseous because of all of the food you consumed and of course, meeting up with friends and family from all over Minnesota.
7. You can’t help but be "Minnesota nice."
"Minnesota nice" is a very real thing, and if you’ve traveled outside of Minnesota, I’m sure you’ve become aware of the harsh reality that not everyone else is as nice as Minnesotans.
8. The Mall of America isn't that big of a deal to you.
People assume that if you live near the Mall of America, you go there all of the time, which isn't necessarily true. It’s just so big that going requires an entire day or even a few days if you want to really see all of it.
9. You’re practically a professional at driving in the snow.
Since you’ve experienced driving through the Minnesotan tundra, you can drive through almost any kind of weather. Bring it on, Mother Nature. Nothing can compete with Minnesota's blizzards.
10. You’d choose Caribou Coffee over Starbucks any day.
Coffee drinkers just don’t understand what they’ve been missing if they’ve never had Caribou Coffee. I'd choose a Caribou Cooler over a Starbucks Frappuccino any day. Sorry, Starbucks.
11. People comment on your use of Minnesotan words.
Yes, I did just call my sugary, carbonated beverage "pop." No, I don't put my hair up with a "hair tie" or "ponytail," I use a hair binder. We also eat hot dish, not a casserole.
Minneapolis is a city that continues to amaze me, and I continue to discover new and unique parts of it as every year goes by. There are so many little things I miss about Minnesota since moving out of state for college, but I’m so fortunate to have grown up in such a wonderful city and state. It’s a place I’ll forever be excited to come back to although maybe not when the temperature is sub-zero. Still, Minneapolis is a place I’m proud to call my home.
