The U.P.

Marquette, Michigan

Do me a favor. Picture the state of Michigan. What do you see? The mitten? The Great Lakes? If you're like most people, you're picturing a mitten-shaped peninsula flanked by Lake Michigan in the west and Lake Huron in the east. But guess what - you're missing half the state.

It's ok. Most Americans (even some Michiganders) regularly forget that the Upper Peninsula exists. Some people think it's part of Wisconsin; others think it's part of Canada. Most just ignore it or forget it's even there. 

Amy and I made banana bread!

The U.P. is isolated, but it's also a gorgeous part of the world. It's largely empty, with only small towns dotting the map and untamed forests in between. Those who live in the U.P. call themselves Yoopers, and they love to be outdoors. The U.P. was settled primarily by Finnish immigrants, so Yoopers are hearty people. Winter is their favorite season. Camping, fishing, and hunting are their go-to pastimes. Hockey (not football) is their sport of choice. Yoopers have their own distinctive dialect because of the historical Finnish influence, and to give you an idea of what it sounds like, I'll use two example sentences. 

1) "Go to the house and talk about it" is pronounced "Go to da hoos and talk aboot it" by a Yooper.
2) "Say yes to Michigan" (the state's old tourism slogan) was re-written "Say yah to da U.P., eh!" to poke fun at the local dialect. Yoopers can now purchase bumper stickers with the re-written slogan, and many have them on their cars. 

Amy and I by the shore of Lake Superior. Yes, we planned to
both wear plaid in our favorite colors.
Photo by Megan VanOrman.

You get the idea. I find myself now in Marquette, Michigan, the largest city in the U.P. (population 21,500). I lived in Marquette from 2008 to 2011 while attending Northern Michigan University (not to be confused with Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin), and I still have a number of friends in the area. I'm using some of my time in limbo to visit with them and enjoy being up north. 

I'm starting at my friend Amy's house. Amy and I met our first week as freshmen at NMU, and we clicked right away. We even shared a dorm room during our second year. Amy is a founding member of the Club of Kirstin's Former Roommates, Labmates, and Neighbors Who Got Married Shortly After Sharing a Small Space With Her. (Current membership: 7. Any woman looking to get married should move in with me immediately. Not kidding.) 

The sea star pattern on the afghan Amy made me

I love being at Amy's house. We drink herbal tea. We bake. We watch movies. We spend time outdoors. Amy can crochet better than anyone I know, and this trip, she surprised me with a special gift to recognize my Ph.D. It's an afghan that she crocheted herself using a pattern that looks like sea stars. (Ok, the stars in the pattern have six arms, but that just means they're probably Leptastarias polaris.) Amy even used yarn for the afghan in my favorite color. I am so blessed to have friends who care about me so much. Life is good in the U.P.!