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I dont mind our winter's if there is plenty of things to do, which there are.
Here are a few that I can think of
1. You and some friends can go ice skating on a country pond or small lake, clear away an area from snow on the ice, and bring a box full of firewood, skate and roast hot dogs, drink hot coco, have a campfire on the ice, and have so much fun it will be a lifelong memory.
2. Organize with your friends a walk through the woods trails on a star filled -10F night, the eirieness of the headlights will make for many shadows in the trees, another life memory. Bring your kids, they will really like it most likely.
3. Find a sliding hill in the country and go sliding with friends and family, realitives, another life memory.
4. throw cups of warm water in the air when it is -30F.
Go walking in a nice park, take a drive up north, it will not be long before the day has ended, with another great memory.
Winter in this place of part of the greatness of living here, I am glad I do not mind the winter, I live here.
Last edited by demtion35; 03-26-2015 at 07:32 PM..
Well since you asked, I left at 18 years old for a change and the cold, horrible, no good weather. 6.5 years later I returmed with my husband of 2 years and a golden retreiver to boot for none other than cooler weather and like you due to just being homesick. It's great to be within diving distance of family (my brother and his wife and kids are an hour away and parents are 2 hours north). I have many relatives and friends in the metro and in my hometown a few hours away so my take may be different than yours since I see family probably once a month or every other month.
We are both so glad to have moved and believe it's a huge upgrade in almost every facet (people, parks, cleanliness, weather, etc,). That being said we did not move here solely for family and I never think that's a great idea unless you know your kids will benefit or some other reason and you will not take family for granted when they are within arms reach. Reality is unless you're doing what's best for your family in all facets you'll feel like you sold yourself short and regret it. We actually have to move toward the end of this year for my husbands job and ultimately it's because that's the best for our family. Yes it would be nice to stay put and be by family and they would prefer it but we would regret it and ya just can't live like that.
Well since you asked, I left at 18 years old for a change and the cold, horrible, no good weather. 6.5 years later I returmed with my husband of 2 years and a golden retreiver to boot for none other than cooler weather and like you due to just being homesick. It's great to be within diving distance of family (my brother and his wife and kids are an hour away and parents are 2 hours north). I have many relatives and friends in the metro and in my hometown a few hours away so my take may be different than yours since I see family probably once a month or every other month.
We are both so glad to have moved and believe it's a huge upgrade in almost every facet (people, parks, cleanliness, weather, etc,). That being said we did not move here solely for family and I never think that's a great idea unless you know your kids will benefit or some other reason and you will not take family for granted when they are within arms reach. Reality is unless you're doing what's best for your family in all facets you'll feel like you sold yourself short and regret it. We actually have to move toward the end of this year for my husbands job and ultimately it's because that's the best for our family. Yes it would be nice to stay put and be by family and they would prefer it but we would regret it and ya just can't live like that.
Thank you Minntoazfor the positive response.
These are the kinds of responses I was hoping to hear. Sometimes these threads turn into debates and usually end in people defending their great state. That wasn't my direction at all. Minnesota will always be hike in my heart and I don't think negatively at all of the people there of the culture. Of course I speak not so kindly of the weather but who doesn't, it's the elephant in the room. Like I always say, if my family and friends didn't live there I'd never move back, but if MN was in the south... I'd move back in a minute.
I agree 100 percent that people need to do what's best for themselves/family first in all facets. That's what we are trying to consider. My kids didn't grow up around cousins or family like I did. We have been gone for 10 yeas so one son was just turning 6 amd the other was 1, when we ask them about the chance to live by family, the first thing they say is "but it's really really cold there!" It's probably more for my wife and I than them. I personally think we will end up going back to Texas, but really enjoy people's opinions so that it may open so,e doors for us to consider. I hate to feel stubborn and not consider something if I am not thinking of it.
We have been considering moving back for a few years and now have decided to, precisely because we think it will better for our family. Our family is in the metro area, so we will see them often and I love the thought of my kids spending more time with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Schools are great and we have friends and family there. I left 20 years ago, moved around the East coast and worked internationally and am looking for a more mellow lifestyle. We live in Chicago, so the weather will be similar and is not an issue. IL is losing tons of people and I foresee the state's economy being in an even bigger mess in the next few years and this played a slight role in our decision. Chicago is also very sprawled and public transit isn't that great. Crime is a problem even in the burbs. Basically we are moving to be near family and friends, be in a safer more fiscally stable state that has good schools in an area where 30 minute drives are considered far, which cracks me up. Good luck with your decision, it's not easy.
i know for me, if i was single. i wouldnt mind staying in minnesota. But with a wife and kids its not easy being away. flying out of msp is not cheap. hell, thats about what 200 a ticket. its miserable flying home once a year. keeping up with family on facebook is not my idea of happiness. its one thing to live away from family but 20 hours driving is ridiculous.
Very interesting thread for someone who is thinking of moving my family from Texas to the MSP area in the next year or so. My wife and I are not Texans and we are growing weary of the culture and cities down here which have very little amenities to offer except sprawling car-centric suburban subdivisions and retail sprawl.
I am from Oregon, grew up in Eugene and have lived and worked in both Portland and Seattle as well as Juneau Alaska. So I have lived with scenery at my doorstep. So why are we looking at MSP? Seattle has grown unmanageable for families, the cost of living, traffic, and quality of schools outside the exclusive suburban towns is all much worse than MSP. My old co-workers who live there with families talk of the endless battles with crosstown traffic just to get to and from school events, soccer practices, and all that sort of thing. Portland is a little more manageable but not terribly vibrant economically and is just full of underemployed millenials doing whatever they can to get by. And again, the schools are problematic due to longstanding budget crises if you aren't in one of the most upscale suburbs. MSP just seems to have hit the sweet spot for those of us looking to raise families and provide future opportunities for our children.
What I have found is that when one is young and single then the city and surrounding area is literally your back yard. When I lived in Seattle I used to keep my skis in my car and every Weds evening would drive up to do night telemark skiing at the Snoqualmie Pass ski area and then weekends I'd always be off doing something on the snow or water. I did a lot of scuba diving. But with a family and a house it is just really hard to get away like that or even spend the money. Mostly now I'm coaching soccer spring and fall, running around to soccer and swim practices, going to soccer games, swim meets or just working around the house on the weekend and the amenities that I use are those at my immediate doorstep not those two hours away. Getting out on my bike when I can for rides in the local area, walking the dog and running every day. That sort of thing. And it is my impression that MSP is probably the best urban area in the country for having outdoor fitness and recreational opportunities at one's doorstep such as biking trails, walking trails, lakes, parks, and so forth. Seattle and Portland have good biking infrastructures in the urban core but their suburban trail and parks networks are a pale shadow to what the MSP area has to offer. Denver seems more similar to Seattle in that respect. Many of the Denver suburbs look like they were borrowed from Texas. Because the Rockies are so close it just seems that there has been a lot less effort put into developing urban and suburban area green spaces and trails compared to MSP.
Perhaps the grass is always greener....but MSP really seems to have its act together as a city. And I think the lack of overwhelming scenic and wilderness areas nearby compared to Denver, Seattle, and Portland has actually meant that MSP has put a lot more effort into developing those resources it has right at home. Why put so much time and effort into developing local parks and trails when there are national parks and wilderness areas an easy drive away?
For what it's worth, I think if you (TXDiver) can tolerate the winters, you'll find a solid match for you and your family in Minneapolis. We have lived in several places in common and we sound pretty similar in tastes and life stage.
I grew up in MN then moved to the Pacific NW, Spain, various parts of Mexico, Austin, TX and now Fort Worth, TX. In my 20's I chose places based on outdoor recreation, natural beauty, and access to culture and music... now, with a career and child, priorities change, so a place I would have NEVER considered at earlier stages in life, now makes great sense. Fort Worth won't win any beauty pageants soon, and I don't share the greater populace's system of values, but it is an affordable place with good access to cultural amenities and it is a nice home base from which to launch trips all over the world.
Anyways, your line of thinking makes sense to me. MPLS has a ton of easy access to quite pleasant green spaces and a lot of biking trails, lots of lakes and rivers to explore, etc.
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Turning my attention to the OP--I think you should not return to MN. It just doesn't sound like you really miss it all that much or like it was a very good fit for you to begin with. Losing a parent and sister can make one miss his fatherland; that's natural, but I don't know if that's enough if you don't really thrive / enjoy that place too much.
My point is, if I was more suburban and wasn't into Minnesotan things like the outdoor amenities (fishing, state parks, canoeing, boating, etc) and wasn't into the arts scene, I can see why you wouldn't move back.
This is really solid advice, some of the best in the thread.
Yeah I have to disagree with some of this as well.
It reminds of of my talks I have with my mother a few times a week. Nothing is that bad. Give me a break. I still go to MN a few times a year and at least two of those trips ar din the winter. And it is always THAT BAD. ALWAYS 20 or colder with cold winds, always icy, always takes me forever to warm up. No will will ever convince me that the winters in MN aren't "that bad" nor should anyone try to mislead others of that. I remember a couple of winters ago I was back and when I was getting into my rides car with metal door handles, my hands literally stuck to them and tore off little bits of skin. It was 38 below zero, but I guess hats not that bad. And it only lasted for the entire 11 days I was there and beyond that... But that's not that bad. I remember when the roof of the metronome collapsed from the snow, but that probably wasn't that much snow... I mean the do,e had only been there for 30 years prior with no problems, I think the weather there is getting progessivly worse. Each year it seems to get colder and it see,s to stay longer.
Sorry, I'm not here to debate that, but it does irritate me when people say winters in MN aren't that bad. I still very well in tune to what's going on there. All my family is still there, I have dozens of friends there and communicate with all of them offer. I also still read the news online, listen to the local radio station online, and come visit often. Do get me wrong, Minneapolis has its perks. All of which you listed are good points. And can be lots of fun. But again, this wasn't a debate post about should vespers us shouldn't. This was an inquiry as to what reasons are driving people out.
I had to chuckle when I read your comments your mother made about the weather in Minnesota being "not that bad". lol
If you can watch the weather report a dozen times a year when the forecaster doesn't use the words "not that bad", or "not so bad".....I'd be shocked. There are 3 things that are necessary for a pleasant forecast. Light or no wind, pleasant tempatures for normal street atire (normnal type pants/shirt/shoes), and clear or at most partly cloudy skies with no rain fall. If you can get all three of those to fall on the same day....you need not say "it's not so bad". If you can't get all three on the same day, it's a great day, In Minnesota there are quite a number of days you'll not even have one of those three present, let alone two of them....that's when the "not so bads" come spewing out like crazy.
Oh, There's a 40 miles an hour wind out, but it's 70 degrees and the sun is out..... "so it's not so bad".
Oh, It's a frigid 10 below outside, but it's a sunny day out with bright blue skies and no wind..... "so it's not so bad".
Oh, It's been drizzling all day, but it's 78 degrees outside and there is no wind......"so it's not so bad"
Anyone who's lived here long enough will know exactly what I'm talking about. If you think about that often used statement, "it's not so bad, or it's not to bad".....what do they really mean ? Well I guess you'd have to say they literally mean, "It's bad, but not really bad". So every time now that you hear the weather forecaster say those words, or words to this effect..... chuckle to yourself and think insted, it's bad, but just a bit north of really bad....lol.
It's not actually true that "most" who leave MN, return. There were actually stats about it in a report I posted to another thread. It's around 25%, and of that 25%, most of them were in their early 20s. I.e. they went out of state to go to college and then came back.
After age 30, there are actually not that many people moving into Minnesota, returning or other wise. Of that group, the percentage of people who lived here before was very small, like 2%.
I was told that several times before I left MN 22 years ago: You'll be back! As it is now, I've instructed my family not to even send my ashes back there, unless they're dumped into Lake Superior off MN point in Duluth, a MN city I loved the most!
Before I left Minneapolis in 1996 (where I lived for 21 years & 22 years in Rochester), I was an "urban pioneer" in a condo/loft in the Eliot Park neighborhood, too eager for the city to become more urbanized, so I wouldn't have needed a car to go grocery shopping. All thru the 70's there was only talk of a light rail line going between Minneapolis & St. Paul, and it finally arrived. What a long wait that would have been!!!
The isolation factor, IMO, is a real negative for MSP, unless you're an outdoor enthusiast with a lake cabin. Oh those long drives to Milwaukee & Chicago!!! And, in winter, too risky to undertake, as a snow storm might get your stranded somewhere, and not get back to work on Monday a.m. Other choices, when you wanted a change of environment? Winnipeg (9 hour drive), Fargo and Des Moines!
I do miss the snowfalls! It wasn't the snow or cold that drove me out of there, it was the lack of sunshine!
Despite all the exciting changes that have arisen in Minneapolis since I left, 22 years ago, I feel like I'm stuck her in the SW now to the very end, having gotten too spoiled with this low humidity (in June, humidity levels as low as 3%, and at 100 degrees, you don't even need the A/C), and the ultimate luxury of no insects, no mosquito's, gnats. wood ticks or even flies! I'm so spoiled now, I panic at the sight of a mosquito, or going somewhere with the humidity levels over 50%!
I also love my many trips to the Mexican border cities, the medical/dental tourism available, and I'll be retiring soon to Tucson, hungry to live in a real city for a change! And, 60 miles to Mexico!
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And, in winter, too risky to undertake, as a snow storm might get your stranded somewhere, and not get back to work on Monday a.m. Other choices, when you wanted a change of environment? Winnipeg (9 hour drive), Fargo and Des Moines!
