[dweej]

...and we are really enjoying ourselves!

In the summer of last year, we bought a foreclosure on a little bit of land about 5 miles from Gull Lake outside of Kalamazoo. We made the purchase sight-unseen off of the internet from southern California (true story! I have been a city-data member for a long time, so no trolling here ) using photos, soil maps, county records, and a whole lotta research and luck. It has been quite the adventure, but our neighbors are so kind and helpful, we have easily found a lovely community through church, and the school district (Gull Lake) is excellent. We still have a lot of work ahead of us on the house, but overall the move has been an absolute success.

I would especially like to thank all the members of this forum who post their beautiful photographs- facts and figures and statistics are easy to research and very objective, but to get a real feel for the beauty of this state would have been very difficult without all of you taking the time to share those with us.

So, thanks to all of the Michiganders (I lived in Detroit when I was little, and I refuse to say "Michiganian"!) who've shown us so much kindness. Can't wait to see our very first spring!

[canudigit]

Awesome! Thanks for letting us know how well you're doing and how well you like our beautiful state. If you came from SoCal, then you're probably not used to the kind of springs that we have here, where there is such a drastic change. Just wait until the first day that you smell that peculiarly earthy smell of the ground thawing, the grass turns that certain bright, bright green that you only see in April, and the flowers start blooming. It's magic!

[Zenstyle]

Welcome to the Mitten, dweej!
Spring happens quickly around here. One day in March you'll be slogging through the snow, then a few days of rain and mud, then the trees will pop and birds will sing. Pay attention to every day, because it goes by fast!

[dweej]

We have already been awed by all three seasons so far and we've heard that spring is the best of all, so I am super excited! The summer storms were incredible, and the long days with sunsets at 9:30 p.m. were just too fun. Then fall came and it was cool and breezy and the trees changed and we thought that was incredible. But now winter is here and oh-my-goodness it's like we have a totally different property to explore and new, fun things to do.

Spring is gonna be just awesome!

[michmoldman]

welcome! Gull lake is a great lake, and really beautiful area. we were there last fall, and very impressed. It Kinda looks a bit like up north country...enjoy! Michigan is awesome!

[chiroptera]

Welcome, that is quite a move! I moved here from Colorado.

Oh and I so agree about spring time being magic...it's my favourite season here. I never get over the sense of wonder that all this lush life restarts after the cold winter.

[Dave Wojo]

Originally Posted by dweej

We have already been awed by all three seasons so far and we've heard that spring is the best of all, so I am super excited! The summer storms were incredible, and the long days with sunsets at 9:30 p.m. were just too fun. Then fall came and it was cool and breezy and the trees changed and we thought that was incredible. But now winter is here and oh-my-goodness it's like we have a totally different property to explore and new, fun things to do.

Spring is gonna be just awesome!

I'm loving your enthusiasm! After 18 years of living in Ohio we're finally moving back to Michigan. For all of the reasons above, I can't wait. Thank you for your post!

[dweej]

Originally Posted by Dave Wojo

I'm loving your enthusiasm! After 18 years of living in Ohio we're finally moving back to Michigan. For all of the reasons above, I can't wait. Thank you for your post!

We have some "neighbors" (and by that I mean they live 3 miles away, but our daughters go to school together) who just moved here from Ohio with their 8 kids. She says the thing that has struck her most is how beautiful it is here, even in the winter.

Good luck on your move!

[magellan]

Thanks for sharing your story.

As everyone has mentioned, Spring is pretty fantastic. And the blooms come in waves as the weeks go by. I always watch for the yellow flowers of the Forsythia to come out (one of the first), then you know the wave has begun. I'm still blown away every year by how wooded wetland areas, barren of any leaves, become almost as thick as rain forests.

[Dave Wojo]

Originally Posted by dweej

We have some "neighbors" (and by that I mean they live 3 miles away, but our daughters go to school together) who just moved here from Ohio with their 8 kids. She says the thing that has struck her most is how beautiful it is here, even in the winter.

Good luck on your move!

Thanks! We'll be moving in July. I've already taken on my new role at work, and am actively calling on my new Michigan accounts. They're allowing me to hold off on the move and cover the accounts from Ohio until after our son graduates.

I feel the same enthusiasm as you whenever we're able to head up. I also feel a sense of dread whenever I have to leave. I'm sure not going to miss the latter.