I was born in Ohio. I moved to Illinois when I was three. My first (memorable) trip out of the Midwest was to Texas when I was 13, then Florida when I was 14. Since then, I have made my way to Mississippi, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Zambia, England, Germany, Ireland, Croatia, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, Canada, Tennessee and finally Colorado. (By the time this summer ends, Nevada, California, and North Carolina will be added to the list.)

I studied abroad for three months when I was 20 years old. Up until my time in Europe, I wanted to get out of the Midwest. It was cold and boring. There were no mountains, no oceans, no culture. But during my time in Europe, I longed to go home and eat Portillo's, explore the cities and forests, play in the snow and hang out with my friends and family.

So, the Midwest is best.

I have seen the astounding natural beauties the world through mountains, cliffs and waterfalls. I have experienced the rich history and culture of various states and countries. I have enjoyed the warm sun in on beaches near oceans and seas. I could go on and on.

But the Midwest is still best.

I mean, let's face it. The Midwest reps Chicago, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Columbus, Minneapolis and St. Paul. There are over thirty professional sports teams and the Big 10 Conference. We actually experience all four seasons. We are home to some of the largest lakes in the world. And apparently, we're really nice.

My friends from around the country feel bad for me. You don't have oceans. Those aren't real beaches. There aren't any mountains. What do you do for fun? It's so flat. It's so cold.

My response is always the same: The, "boring" Midwest makes the rest of the world that much more incredible. And after all my travels, it still remains true.

Because northern Wisconsin still takes my breath away, every mountain I look at is astounding.

Each of the Great Lakes is absolutely captivating, which makes oceans even more mesmerizing.

We are a melting pot of people from all over the world, so we a get a little taste of every nation everywhere we go.

People flock to the Midwest to go to the Sears* Tower, St. Louis Arch, Mount Rushmore, Cedar Point, Ozarks, Indiana Dunes, Mackinaw Island, Door County and Mall of America.

We are home to the Garden of the West, the Corn State, America's Bread Basket, the Land of 10,000 Lakes, America's High Five, The Good Life, the Birth of Aviation and the Heart of It All.

We can ski on water and snow in the same year. We can watch the sun rise on one "coast" and set on the other side in the same day without getting on a plane. We have experienced temperatures lower than -40ºF and higher than 110ºF.

We are nice and we love cheese.

The Midwest is best.

* I will never call the Sears Tower by it's new name. Nor will any true Midwesterner.