April 10, 2023

Last week, Mike and I spent time in California. I’ll admit, Ontario, CA has its attractions- the mountains, the palm trees, and roads without potholes. The weather was beautiful, too- high 70s. And, I can’t deny that reading and writing by the pool, enjoying the warm Santa Ana breeze, and just soaking in sun (having slathered on Zinc sunblock with an spf of 100 for this tender Yooper flesh) was a thing of beauty. However, I can also say that flying over the U.P. made me realize that I’d never want to live anywhere but here.

We were fortunate enough to come back to truly beautiful weather. We have sun, and we have temps in the high 50s with a not-so-cold wind… For sure, palm trees are gorgeous, but our majestic eastern pines are incomparable. Seeing them against the sunlit blue sky always takes my breath away. But, I think the biggest factor of my preference for the U.P. is how it feels like home.

Here in the U.P., people say hi even if they don’t know you. If your car breaks down, someone will always stop and help you out. Store owners and restaurant waitstaff are typically down-to-earth and friendly. Heck, the U.P. is one of the few places that you can see the Northern Lights more than just once in a lifetime! Most of all, I, for one, feel so deeply rooted here that I can’t imagine living somewhere else. Are there any other Yoopers who can relate?