If you are from the Land of 10,000 Lakes, there is a good chance you have done at least one of the following. These occurrences may appear normal to us, but to someone outside of the Midwest, it may seem weird.
1. "The Minnesota Grin."
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The most common occurrence of this is when you walk past someone in the hallway and you don't want seem rude, so you attempt to smile. But you don't know them that well or at all, so showing teeth would be creepy. Thus, the Minnesota grin was born.
2. Using the weather as a conversation starter.
You probably do it more than you think, whether you are talking about the 22 inches of snow we are supposed to get next week or how it is a perfect day to be on the lake.
3. Acting surprised whenever someone says they haven't tried any Minnesota dishes.
Because tater tot hotdish, lutefisk, nut goodies, booya, Spam, lefse, jello salad, Juicy Lucys and Honeycrisp apples are the finest cuisine in all of the land.
4. Being shocked at how rude people can be when you visit other states.
Living in Minnesota, you become accustomed to the polite nature of Minnesotans. When you leave the Midwest and the common generosity isn't there anymore, you are left bewildered. If you drop something while walking down the street, the chances of someone picking it up and returning it to you are significantly less. Not everyone will hold open the door for you for an awkwardly long amount of time. Apparently, it's not normal to say hello to people you pass while on a walk. It's a cruel, cruel country we live in.
5. Being an adamant Minnesota sports fan, even though the teams are not the best.
All Minnesota teams have their moments, but you won't expect them to come home with a Superbowl ring, Larry O'Brien NBA Trophy, Commissioner's Trophy or Stanley Cup. We are disappointed with the team when they have a bad game/season, but when next season rolls around, we are ready to cheer and tailgate (more than Illinois).
6. Getting mocked for your accent.
You would think we are from a different country the way people are fascinated with our accents. We say "boat" once and it turns into a frenzy of people slaughtering our accents. Why would you want a sexy British accent when you can have a Fargo one, don't cha know?
7. Unintentionally being "Minnesota Nice."
We can never say "thank you," "I'm sorry," "no problem" and "excuse me" too many times. We don't want to step on anyone's foot, but beware, our passive-aggressive game is strong.
8. Rolling your eyes at people who say it's always too cold here.
Yeah, we basically live in a frozen tundra, but there are always those people who complain about 60-degree weather. Come back to me when you have harbored an entire Minnesota winter.
