Moving to Minnesota!

Minnesota or Bust!

Yep, we’re moving to Minnesota. This an inside joke with my family— The Minnesotan “yep” is as prevalent as the Canadian "eh" which has been famously parodied on SNL. I spent four days there house hunting and noticed they say it a lot. I came home saying it, and now I can’t stop. Nope.

Why Minnesota?

Why would we want to move to Minnesota? I'm a California girl born and raised, but our family is adventurous (rock climbing, mountaineering, etc.). So when my husband was told in order to advance his career he should consider relocating to Minnesota, we thought, “Why not?” For those of you who don't know, 3M stands for "Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing" company. Sure we would be leaving almost all of our family, our friends, the 270 days per year of sunshine, but 3M is a great company. Not to mention that we can buy a house twice the size of the one we are renting in California!

“Have You Ever Lived in the Snow?”

Besides the question of  “why Minnesota?,” the second question people asked was, “Have You Ever Lived in the Snow?” The answer is “no,” however I have camped in the snow at 13,000 feet. Does that count? I’m trying not to obsess about the weather, although as I write this the high in Los Angeles today will be about 85 degrees, while the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul) will have a high of 38 degrees. At the same time, I do want to be prepared. Down stadium parka—check! snow boots—check!; giant flask of Jack Daniels—check!; St. Bernard to carry giant flask of Jack Daniels—I’ll have to work on that.

California’s Dirty Little Secret

One word. Sunshine. I know that's sacrilege to say, and someday very soon I will regret taking it for granted, but believe it or not, we get tired of the sunshine. Well, it's not so much the sunshine as the heat in L.A. People think Californians are so healthy because we can exercise outdoors year-round, but according to the statistics, Minnesotans are healthier. What they don't tell you is that the heat keeps you indoors a lot during the summer and makes you lethargic. Also, it's no secret that the air quality isn't so great in L.A. People who have spent their lives in California like to point out how much better it is now than in the Seventies, and it is, but in a state of 37 million compared to 5 million in Minnesota, you are bound to have more air pollution. Although moving from California to Minnesota may seem a little extreme (I currently own more tank tops than scarves), I won’t miss the smog, the heat, and the traffic.

Palm Trees and Water Tanks

I noticed when we visited that just about every suburb east of St. Paul has water towers reaching into the skyline. I wondered if they were used for agriculture, for drinking water, or were outdated relics of another era. We were told they were still in use, but nobody could tell us for what. In one area we could see four different water towers off in the distance. It was surreal, like a Sci-Fi movie where aliens take over Earth, and start building bizarre structures to facilitate the destruction of mankind. In L.A.we have palm trees. And though they may seem exotic or romantic, the fact that they are seen everywhere from Beverly Hills to the poorest neighborhoods of East L.A., takes away some of the romance.

Bye, Bye Surfboard

And lastly, as part of our final move preparations, I sold my beloved surfboard. No, not everybody in California surfs, but I was always a tomboy. My husband said I should keep it, but I gave it to a good home with a nice surfing family who will actually put it in the water rather than keeping it locked away in a basement like some man-made creature gone bad.

A New Chapter

So, here we are in the final countdown with 18 days until move time when we completely dismantle our life as we know it and start anew. A new adventure, or...? It remains to be seen. Stay tuned.