A funny thought about Minnesota as I’m leaving.

When I was a senior in college I was thinking about my next move. I didn’t want to just go back to the Portland, Oregon area where I was raised. I was determined to find a new adventure and go out on my own. One day I read an article about the 10 best cities in the U. S. for singles and ranked right up there was Minneapolis, Minnesota. I became enamored with the photos of the lakes and beautiful sidewalks with beautiful people jogging or cycling on the paths. I learned that Minneapolis / St. Paul area was one of the most cultured cities and I could imagine myself with season tickets to the opera or symphony.

And I imagined myself one step closer to being Mary Tyler Moore.

So I was pretty convinced Minneapolis was where I was going to land. One February morning I decided to make a phone call to the Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce. I was looking for some information on the city. I imagined that they would be thrilled that I chose their city to settle in. While I was on hold, waiting for someone to help me, I listened to their on-hold music–which seemed to be a local radio station–and day dreamed about my life in Minneapolis with their lush parks, blue skies and lakes.

But then the on-air announcer came on and said, “…and today it’s going to be 15 below, so make sure you bundle up.”

And then I hung up the phone.

Minneapolis was crossed off my list.