Why this Florida transplant is Minnesota dreaming
I grew up in southern Minnesota in a medium-sized college town called Mankato.
Yes, the very same town where vice-presidential running mate Tim Walz made his mark first as a social studies teacher and football coach at West High School and then as a twelve-year congressman representing the rural district.
I had graduated from the local Catholic high school and moved on to my second year at Saint John’s University (MN) when Tim and his wife moved to town in 1996 to start their teaching careers.
After graduating from Saint John’s, I spent a number of years away from Minnesota, first teaching English in China, three years in graduate school in Hawaii, and a number of years working in small business at my parent’s new homebase of Fort Myers, Florida
As someone who recently spent five years working in Asia and upon moving back to Florida one and a half years ago in 2023, the recent national spotlight on Tim Walz and the Upper Midwest had me reminiscing on what I love and miss about Minnesota.
Public transportation & bike trails: I just loved that I could travel conveniently and cheaply almost anywhere in the heart of the Twin Cities, including making a lot of short trips using the bike paths.
Abundant universities & colleges: I truly miss the educational and public events such as national speaker presentations that were usually held at the many public and private universities.
Lakes & parks: Minnesota continuously ranks the highest in the nation for having the most recreational parks per capita. I miss picnicking at Como Park and walking and riding my bike along the Chain of Lakes that dot the city.
Cultural arts & museums: Almost every week I could fill my calendar to attend art events, festivals, and special showings to quench my intellectual curiosity.
Diversity: The Twin Cities has had an abundance of immigrants, especially the Hmong and other Southeast Asians starting in the 1980s, to recent years of large influx of Somalis, other Africans, and Hispanics, transforming the culinary scene and local business vibe.
There are a number of other attributes that make Minnesota-living wonderful.
So before dismissing the region as fly-over country, you would be pleasantly surprised how clean the city is, how friendly the people are and the strong, diverse economy that contributes to the high quality of life.
In recent days, I have certainly been thinking about…or rather, dreaming of Minnesota.
