First Impressions

In a hilarious yet weirdly accurate display of wisdom, someone once told me, “Midwestern culture is just going to a state that looks exactly like yours and then complaining about it.” To an extent, that’s true I guess. As a lifelong Hoosier driving through Illinois and Wisconsin on my way to Menomonie, that is exactly what I did. Why are Illinois’ crop fields, bugs, and endless road construction so much more annoying than Indiana’s nearly identical set? But Menomonie took me by surprise because it’s not the same as any other Midwestern town.

From my first day here, I was surprised by how tightly knit the community seems to be. We went to pie in the park on Tuesday night, and it was so cool to see Menomonie residents of all ages coming together for music and (very delicious) pie. The farmer’s market told the same story of positive community relationships. While other communities I’ve been a part of have also had a friendly and pleasant atmosphere, there’s something special about Menomonie’s. I can’t decide if it’s because of these traditions like pie in the park or whether it’s because of the very natural, calm atmosphere the town has, but there’s something about it that makes it exceptional.

            I came here to do research on a topic I care about a lot: the economics of the environment. While I’m still excited to do that, after spending just a bit of time in Menomonie, I’ve also become excited just to learn more about aspects of the world I was previously unfamiliar with. For example, in just a few days I have learned so much more about farming than I ever thought I would. I’ve learned that 6^th street and 2^nd street are perpendicular to one another, not parallel, and you will get very, very lost if you don’t know that. I’ve also learned what Wisconsin’s famous cheese curds are, and I can’t believe I’ve missed out on them for the past 21 years.

            This has all just been in the first week, and we have so many more plans to look forward to. I’m so excited to continue this journey with the rest of the LAKES crew.

Our hike at Devil's Punchbowl