A friend was telling me about one of her other friends from Kansas recently. Kansas was experiencing 80-degree weather, but her friend was inside with the blinds closed playing video games.
I wouldn’t be caught dead inside if it were 80 degrees here in Wisconsin.
People I know who live in the Upper Midwest are obsessed with being outside. Exhibit A: One day on my college campus in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, we had a snowstorm. The next day, it was 50 degrees and people were in T-shirts and shorts playing football and tennis, running, biking, even just sitting outside doing homework because—you guessed it—we’re obsessed with being outside.
If you’ve practically grown up in the outdoors, you most likely will agree with these statements:
1. You get depressed when you’re inside for too long
The fresh air recharges your batteries no matter where you go or what you do outside. The outdoors is the best place to think clearly and enjoy life.
2. You find something beautiful with each season change
The North Woods scenery is always changing, from shimmery snowfalls and icy trees to blossoming flowers and green rolling hills; from sunny lakefront days to orange, red and yellow treescapes. It’s all spectacular to you.
3. You plan on taking your kids camping even if you don’t have any yet
Camping is something that is near and dear to your heart because you are in love with the idea of sleeping under the stars instead of a white popcorn ceiling.
4. You’ve popped a squat in the woods before
You can’t say you really love the outdoors until you’ve used leaves or moss as toilet paper.
5. A snowstorm doesn’t stop you from having fun
Snowstorms are inevitable in the Northern states, so you make the best of a snowfall. Skiing, snowboarding, tubing, sledding and snowmobiling are just a few of the activities that you enjoy doing after you plow the 3 feet of snow off your driveway.
6. You either own a car that has four-wheel drive or you wish you owned a car that has four-wheel drive
Off-roading with the windows rolled down is your idea of a great way to spend a summer afternoon. Plus, when it’s snowing, four-wheel drive makes the commute to work easier, especially if the 3 feet of snow from last night hasn’t been plowed yet.
7. You’re never afraid to get dirty
You were the kid that came home late at night barefoot caked in dirt and sand, and you have loved that life since then. You know dirt doesn’t kill you, so you couldn't care less about the dirt under your fingernails and the grass stain on your knees.
8. You were raised to love outdoor sports
Part of the reason you love the outdoors is you grew up around any sport that was outside.
9. Hiking is your hobby
When there’s nice weather, you always try to plan a hiking trip with friends to get out and enjoy the views of the humbly gorgeous woods of the Upper Midwest.
10. You can't get enough of survival shows
"Running Wild with Bear Grylls," "Ultimate Survival Alaska," "Alone," "Dual Survival," "Naked and Afraid." You've seen them all and you wish you could be on them.
11. You have plenty of pictures of awesome sunsets
Your Instagram is full of nature photos in general, but those sunsets are what make the outdoors your obsession.
12. You love telling and hearing stories about something that happened outdoors
Whether bad, good, funny or embarrassing, stories are proof that there are always memories being made. They’re what keep you coming back to the woods, the lake, the cabin, the river, the trail, the slopes.
