Why Do You Live In Michigan?

[Troy Spiral (13)]

Other than "becasue i was born here" why do you reside in this state?

[Fierce Critter]

Because my family is here. I will never leave them again.

Because I have been elsewhere. And thusfar, these are the things that Michigan has that make me love it:

The type of flora & fauna found here, and the lack of flora & fauna I've experienced elsewhere that I do NOT like.

The lakes. Great and otherwise. I was raised lake swimming, I can't do without it.

The climate. I like the change of seasons. I would probably do just as well if it never got as warm as it does in the summer. I like the winter. I prefer dressing for the winter than dressing for the summer.

The people. There's nothing like a midwestern attitude. Particularly a blue-collar Detroit attitude. I like the negatives as well as the positives. Particularly, I like the up-frontness. I deal better with that than with in-my-face-obvious-bullshit.

I prefer certain things about northern Michigan, particularly the Traverse City and Lelanau Peninsula areas. But I wouldn't want to live there year-round, 'cause I like quick access to city life, including City Club. No, not just "clubs". City Club.

I like living in a state in which I can hold up my hand and indicate where certain places are by pointing to it.

Diversity. Of people, mindsets, and everything else.

I could think of more. But those are the main things.

[saechalyn]

Short answer: I ask myself that question every fucking day.

Longer answer: I was born in New York, went to college upstate and afterwards moved to NYC for grad school and lived with my best friend Meg (whom some of you know- not the same as the lovely Megalicious). For various and sundry reasons I dropped out of grad school and had no money, no job, no experience, a mountain of student loan debt and manhattan-style rent to pay. Meg also left her grad program and we decided not to renew our lease. I went to Massachusetts to stay with friends and try to get on my feet. I was working retail and temping and not really making any money. Meg got into U of M and needed a roommate; I needed a place to live. So I moved to Michigan on a total whim. I had never even been to the state and truth be told I'm not even sure I could have pointed to it on a map (my geography skills are abysmal at best.)

I didn't expect to be here more than a year. But it's 4+ years later and here I am. On some level I guess I'm here because I have noplace else to go, nor the money to get there. I have a semi-decent job and a few good friends and so I'm sticking around. I don't expect to be here for the long haul, but I don't want to go back to the east coast either. I think the San Francisco Bay area might be in my future if I ever get my shit together; but that idea is unformed and distant.

[jadnifer]

I live here for my family. I really havent been anywhere else to compare it, so I couldnt say that one place is better than the other

As far as moving away from my family, it would be VERY hard for me to do. I was lving about two hours from where I do now, and I was two hours away from ANY of my family, and it was VERY difficult, even only two hours away.

That's why I live in Michigan

(Kinda Blah....but it will do)

[paradox]

i have a bomb implanted in my skull that will detonate if i cross state lines...

[pharoh]

I live here because I do not want to lose contact with some friends that I love and even to a lesser extent my family lol.

If it was because of the economy/job market/women........My ass would of packed up along time ago.

[Msterbeau]

Because the auto industry is here... because my children are here.

And now because Carla is here. :-)

[Guest Game of Chance]

Work/Family. Besides, since all of my closest friends moved, somebody has to stay and hold it down in the D...

[Brenda Starrr]

Of course, I don't live there.

But if I were to move to any other state, it would be Michigan. At least I know that I have plenty of friends there. Despite being wicked cold in the winter, I'd be happy.

[creatureofthenyte]

I wish I could answer this question. I say that because I don't live in Michigan. I've visited twice so far, and I've enjoyed it both times. However, even though it coould be possible for me to transfer my job to a location out there, I dont know if the pay would be the same or even close. That is something I unfortunately cannot compromise on. But I will say that theres good food, ive made some friends, and the gas prices sure are lower then out here in CT. City Club was fun, I know in alot of ways it leaves alot to be desired, but its better then nothing. Mephistos is cool too.

[Homicidalheathen]

I am stuck. I hate it here. I left at 16 because my dad and mom beat me up and my dad kept trying to molest me.....my dealer wanted to kill me for leaving because he 'saved' me from that hell and put me in another one.

So I moved to AZ after traveling around the country for a bit....I loved it out there, I really did. I moved back because I was pregnant.....found out my fiancee' had not 1, not 2.....but 4 other girlfriends.

I wanted family support when it came time to deliver and well, I missed the hell out of my sister. Real bad.

Needed to get away from old friends and past influences because I had just kicked the meth habbit and didn't want to go back to it after the babies were born.

I came back, got my lisence.....worked for a bit..met Klaus.....we got married....

We were going to move then his dad died. Now we have to stay to take care of his mom. I promised Opa on his death bed. I can't break that.

I love his family more than my own I hate to say.......they are so nice. His mom is the mom I always wanted......watched my kids for free so I could work and make ends meet and go back to school.

Now we have grand kids.......can't leave them. My kids start college next yr.......can't leave for 4 more years thus......we just started our own buisness and it is doing REALLY WELL after struggling for years......I would rather put up with snow and idiots than go back to that....so I do think I am stuck.

[HipsterDufus]

I don't really want to any more. At least, I don't want to live in Grand Rapids any more. All of my friends that I grew up with live in Kalamazoo and I see them about once every 2-3 weeks. Our two best friends moved away (one to Kalamazoo, one just moved to Arizona yesterday). There's really not anything left for us in this town except for Sarah's family. I get along with them better than my own, but it's not like we're really all that close. If I could leave Grand Rapids without any strings attached, I wouldn't even have to think about it.

[kellygrrrrrl]

My family

My friends

This is my hometown

I feel a connection with it

Great shopping

great venues

Great nature/state parks/metro parks

Biggest supply of freshwater / best water

my job

4 seasons

beautiful landscapes

the country is just 20 minutes away in either direction

we have traverse city

we have detroit

may not seem like much to most, but it is worth a lot to me.

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

Family and Friends. and really.. get out of the city. Look around. We live in a wonderland.

[Der Nister]

My daughter otherwise I would have left years ago. Michigan pretty much sucks almost all around.

[torn asunder]

cuz my ancestors were idiots!!

[Onyx]

I moved up here from Florida with my ex-husband. (We were married at the time). He came here for a promotion and now that we are divorced we are both court ordered to live within 100 miles of each other unless we get permission from the court. He won't agree to move so I am stuck here for at least 10 more years until my youngest turns 18.

I like Michigan MUCH better than Florida or anywhere else in the south, but hate the small town I'm in. I prefer city life, which is why I spend most weekends in Chicago or Detroit.

[Onyx]

The people. There's nothing like a midwestern attitude. Particularly a blue-collar Detroit attitude. I like the negatives as well as the positives. Particularly, I like the up-frontness. I deal better with that than with in-my-face-obvious-bullshit.

Oh man - you put it so well. Yes yes and yes.

I was in Florida last week and the attitude was so different.

I felt like I was back home again as soon as I landed in Detroit. With all it's flaws I still have a great love for Detroit and Michigan, and I'm not sure I'll ever lose that even if I do move away someday.

[Fierce Critter]

You know, the economy thing is definitely a reason to hate Michigan right now.

But it was the economy that pretty much forced our move to North Carolina. We may have had income and cheaper living, but we were more miserable than we can ever remember being in our entire lives.

When Jon lost his job in NC, we should have been despondent. But instead, we were almost elated. 'Cause we knew that was the impetus we needed to stop "planning to move back" and just DO IT.

Thank goodness Jon lucked out and got a job almost before he hit the road back. With his lack of education or skills, it was truly miraculous that the perfect job for him opened up at that exact moment. It's still mind-boggling the way things worked out.

But even if that hadn't come though, I truly believe we would have been just as happy if we both would have ended up with minimum-wage jobs.

I really, really don't think people understand how great Michigan is until and unless they leave.

And I also do accept that there are certain people who would never be happy in Michigan period.

But to say that Michigan Sucks is an over-generalization that is completely and totally absurd beyond belief. This is an absolutely gorgeous, diverse state. There is so much here for so many different types of people.

We didn't fully appreciate it until we left. Then, we lived every day regretting ever having left.

I can say with complete and total confidence that we will NEVER leave again.

It's so nice to be home.

[Anathema]

i was born in michigan, got real tired of it around 1990 so i moved out west on a spur of the moment for a few years then ended up back in this horrid cespool. went from lansing to downtown detroit. then from downtown detroit to royal oak. got bored with that and went to florida for a few years. once again ended up BACK in michigan...lansing no less. from there to monroe, then holly where i have been for the last year. i would love to move back out west but unfortunately for me i don't see that happening in my near future. it's the whole family thing that kepps bringing me back for more and is keeping me here now...sighing. i miss the mountains and ocean.

[jadnifer]

I love here because Michigan doesnt have as many natural disasters as other states

[Guest Megalicious]

Honestly, for only two reasons, so that Keegan can be close to his father, and Keegans father can be close to him.

Its the only real reason I came back to MI. My family is here now and as much as I HATE THE SNOW I couldn't live anywhere else

[Dubh Aingeal]

Family is here, and the snow. Of course with current winters being as they are. I may need to move further north for my beloved snow.

[Vater Araignee]

Because I am a moron?

In Louisiana the ACOL is someplace between 35 and 40% below ours, the need people in my profession so bad that starting pay is only 2 buck below what I am currently making, but because if I go there I want to be in the bowel and beings the bowel has a wash of toxic sludge over it now (and they don't have a clue as to the long term ramifications) I cant move down there because of the kids.

If only I was smart enough to live out side the bowel.

[Gauge]

because no one will move to florida with me