Why I Love Living in Northern Michigan

When you move to a small town from a big city, you are definitely giving up some very appealing amenities. However, there are some things that you can only find in a small town. I thought I would show you my favorite things about living in a small town in Northern Michigan.

The Weather

The weather is definitely a huge pro and con up here. What I love the most is that we have enough snow to actually do something with in the winter, and it's a very comfortable temperature to go to the beach in the summer. I felt like Lansing was cold and snowy, but it was not enough to be fun... mainly it was just a huge inconvenience.

The Water

There are so many lakes up here! Want to go swimming? There are lakes that are spring feed, so they are crystal clear. Want to go fishing? You can take a little aluminum boat out on a small lake to get some little guys, or you can charter a larger boat to catch fish that weigh as much as a one-year-old child! We got lucky enough to find a house with access to Otsego Lake, and will hopefully we can get a dock spot next year. There is no way we could have been able to afford that downstate.

The People

For the most part, everyone up here is super nice. Honestly, I feel like we live with a bunch of Canadians. For example, if someone pokes their shopping cart around the corner a little too far to see if someone is coming, I'd bet good money that they'll say, "Oh, I'm sorry!"

The Prices 

Going out with friends or family for dinner and drinks was so expensive down state! Now I can get a pitcher of beer for what I was paying for a pint. Plus, the food at the little hole-in-the-wall restaurants are amazing and very reasonably priced. Most importantly, going to the movies is half the price. You just can't beat that! Date nights are so much more enjoyable now that we don't feel like we're bleeding money all night long.