Signs you're becoming a Minnesotan
By Student Blogger Raska from Indonesia
So you’ve been staying in Minnesota for quite some time now, and you’re basically having the time of your life. But little did you know, some small changes are happening to you, signs that you are leaving the foreigner you, the German, French, or maybe Indonesian you, and becoming the new small-town Minnesota you. Here are a few symptoms you may be suffering from acute Minnesotitis.
You say pop instead of soda
Minnesotans will know that you’re not from here if you ask for a soda instead of a pop! Pop is a very popularly used word among many Midwesterners, especially Minnesotans, to describe any kind of carbonated beverage.
You laugh at non-Minnesotans when they complain about the cold
Let’s face it, Minnesota winters are COLD. It’s so cold that a popular journalist once described Minnesota as the 'Siberia of America.' Temperatures can reach as low as -40° Fahrenheit, which is also -40° Celsius. It’s so cold the measurements align! Around this time of year, Minnesotans love to go out and play in the snow, but only after they are all bundled up in layers of clothes!
The weather forecast app on your phone is your best friend
Besides Minnesota's climate being cold, they can also often change very drastically during just one day. A blizzard might happen, strong winds of 30 mph, or just a nice, sunny day. Minnesota weather can be very diverse, ranging from 100° Fahrenheit(38°C) in the summer, to, well, a completely frozen winter. The ideal contents of your ‘Sota-bound suitcase could be an umbrella, a winter coat, and some shorts!
Your ideal weekend getaway is at a cabin by the lake
Although Minnesota is promoted as the 'Land of 10,000 Lakes', the proud state actually has 11,842 lakes of 10 acres of more. This makes water activities one of the most popular hobbies Minnesotans tend to enjoy. Believe it or not, Minnesota’s lakes, streams, and rivers have more combined shoreline than California, Florida, and Hawaii combined!
You pick up some Minnesotan vocabulary
You betcha! Dontcha know that Minnesotans have their own slang? You know you’re a Minnesotan when you dream of driving up north* to your little cabin by the lake, or eating hot dish at home during a snow day, accompanied by a cup of coffee from that Caribou Coffee kitty-corner to your local grocery shop… oh remember that time when that angry New Yorker budged when you were waiting in line for your daily coffee?
*For those of you who aren’t Minnesotan, 'up north' means any place in any direction out of the Twin Cities that has a lake, 'hot dish' means casserole, 'Caribou Coffee' is basically completely superior to Starbucks, 'kitty-corner' is when an object is diagonal to another, and 'budged' is the word Minnesotans use to say when someone cuts a line.