I bet you thought this would be some cheesy blog about how I've found the person I'm meant to be with,and how I've fallen in love, blah, blah, blah..... don't worry it's nothing like that.
What I am amazed by though, is that I am absolutely and utterly falling in love with DETROIT!!!! I know I know... I honestly cannot believe I am saying this. I was that typical high school kid that wanted nothing more than to leave Michigan and go as far away as possible. Once I became a college graduate, again all I wanted was to leave Michigan. I applied to out of state job openings in Indianapolis, Vermont, Florida, California, and anywhere else I could find a job opening. The only thing that was keeping me in Michigan was Graduate School, money, and Blake.
Since getting an education in America costs an arm and a leg, I couldn't afford to pay double for my Masters and was forced to apply in State. Blake and I found a nice little apartment in downtown Northville where anything we could need is only a few steps away from our doorstep.
Recently, Blake and I have really been exploring South East Michigan. We go on walks, to Tigers games, to the Eastern Market, Slows, Walled Lake, and so on. And for the first time I might be seeing what I refused to see before. I will agree that winters here suck. I absolutely and utterly hate snow, unless I'm looking at it through a window while sitting next to a fire place. I do however love Christmas and snuggling under a blanket. I love going to Target and any other store filled to the brim with ornaments and wrapping paper. The snow really makes me appreciate the summer. I never complain about being too hot, or about it being muggy. I live for the 3 months I can spend at the pool or a lake, and if I had a boat I'd be even happier.
Now that I've opened my eyes to what SE Michigan can offer (other then a real job market of course), I realize there are things all around Detroit that you can do.
- Canoeing/lakes/beaches
- Comerica Park
- Eastern Market
- Frankenmouth
- Root beer Stands :)
- Detroit Zoo
- Summer/winter/fall/spring - That's right all four seasons!
- People BBQ'ing 24/7
- Kensington Park
I think initially, yes, Detroit doesn't seem so great, and it will probably never be a place where people flock to live. You will never be able to walk down the street by yourself at night and not worry, even just a little, that you might get jumped. You wont be walking down any dark alleys anytime soon, but that's okay. It doesn't mean Detroit doesn't have other things to offer. If you only look from a distance you will never see what Detroit can give you. One thing I've come to learn is that people from Detroit are loyal to their city. People come together every Saturday morning to sell locally grown fruit and vegetables and to socialize with others that are proud of their town. Detroit is a diamond in the rough and it just needs some help from everyone to clean it up. How we go about that I don't know, but hopefully we can turn it around and make Michigan a place where people want to come and live again.
