When we first moved to Minnesota people always talked about going "Up North." In fact, one of my first blog posts I wrote after moving to Minnesota was about where "Up North" actually was. If I told people that we were going to the cabin for the weekend they would always ask, "Is it Up North?" I learned to just respond with "yes" because if I went into detail about where the cabin exactly was people's eyes would kind of glaze over. After thinking about it for sometime I finally deduced that "Up North" wasn't one specific place, but more of a description of the culture. I decided that "Up North" could be most anywhere in Minnesota as long as it was a place on a lake where you wore your bathing suit most of the time, where it was ok to be dirty, where your floors would be sandy, where you would find fishing bait in your fridge, where you would stay up late by the fire and get up early to fish, where you would take afternoon naps and early evening boat rides, where the atmosphere was relaxed, unpolished, and friendly. It was a place where strangers didn't exist....it was a place that wasn't fancy, and it was a place no one wanted to leave.
That being said, I also learned that Minnesota Culture was one thing in the city but a completely different thing "Up North." While the city might be sophisticated, organized, polished, and rule regulated, "Up North" is just the opposite. "Up North" doesn't ask that you wear designer clothes or even that you shower everyday. When you are "Up North" you eat chicken strips and french fries in slightly shady local pubs. And I like it. "Up North" culture is real and can be taken at face value. You don't have to keep up appearances or pretenses. The more time I spend at the cabin the more examples I have of this and in the past couple years I have found myself laughing. Only in our small cabin township in Minnesota can a parade have a "Keg float" where cups of beer are handed out along the parade route just like candy is....with the Sherriff looking on! Only "Up North" are there Meat Raffles every Monday night at the local (and only) restaurant and Bingo every Thursday. Only in small town, "Up North," Minnesota can you have a potluck at a restaurant during the Super Bowl, help yourself to any kind of beer behind the bar, and yell "Just put it on my tab, I'll pay tomorrow night!" as you walk out the door. It really is a place where everybody knows your name.
Yes, these kind of things really happen. I'm almost scared to say that I've come to like it. :)
That being said, I also learned that Minnesota Culture was one thing in the city but a completely different thing "Up North." While the city might be sophisticated, organized, polished, and rule regulated, "Up North" is just the opposite. "Up North" doesn't ask that you wear designer clothes or even that you shower everyday. When you are "Up North" you eat chicken strips and french fries in slightly shady local pubs. And I like it. "Up North" culture is real and can be taken at face value. You don't have to keep up appearances or pretenses. The more time I spend at the cabin the more examples I have of this and in the past couple years I have found myself laughing. Only in our small cabin township in Minnesota can a parade have a "Keg float" where cups of beer are handed out along the parade route just like candy is....with the Sherriff looking on! Only "Up North" are there Meat Raffles every Monday night at the local (and only) restaurant and Bingo every Thursday. Only in small town, "Up North," Minnesota can you have a potluck at a restaurant during the Super Bowl, help yourself to any kind of beer behind the bar, and yell "Just put it on my tab, I'll pay tomorrow night!" as you walk out the door. It really is a place where everybody knows your name.
Yes, these kind of things really happen. I'm almost scared to say that I've come to like it. :)
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