OMG...what do you people do up here (Fargo, Grand Forks: fit in, Home Depot)

[geekychick]

Well from someone who has lived both lifestyles. Both a country girl and a city girl....

In the summer, we have BBQ's and invite friends over. We go to the lake and just listen to the silence and RELAX, READ and THINK (some fish). We go to lots of recreational ballgames. Saturday mornings you go to Flea Markets and Yard Sales ( we redecorate alot). Sometimes we head to the nearest big city for the weekend get a hotel, look at art, shop, party. If your in a really rural area.. one must experience a rodeo and the dance afterward. When I lived in a rural area... life was slower.. went to bed earlier... got up earlier....also had time for my own hobbies.
During the winter, we do winter sports, and have friends over for a game of cards and laughter. Movie night and board game night...

Guess you need to make some friends and start inviting them over....

[etjaipleure]

My husband got stationed in Minot. I currently live in Dallas so it will be a big drastic change from here. The beach is close, the city is close, it never gets too cold although the heat can be a little unbearable at times. I just love being busy and always having something to do and somewhere to go and something to see...I've never really had a slow pace kind of city before...so I'm not sure what exactly to think about it.

[Roloff1976]

Yeah, that is understandable. I think you will just have to come in with a positive attitude, and it just might work out okay...if you come in negative, you might never see the good things that are there, because you are too busy worrying about all the bad things you don't like. It won't be a permanent move, so chalk it up for an experience you can tell your family and friends about in a few years. The winters can be brutal, but the summers are very nice. You are only 45minutes to Lake Sakaukawea...which is a nice place to go in the summer. Minot does have a nice zoo (not huge...but nice variety of animals) they have a pretty descent mall with all the national chains. Nice choice of restaraunts. North Dakota has only 640,000 people (so not much bigger than a small city population wise) but they are very friendly. The Minot base is getting over 1,000 new military personal, so along with family, could be up to 2,000 to 4,000 new people moving up there with you. You might find some support from them as well, because I'm guessing many of them are having the same feelings and worries that you are having. Good Luck, and welcome to North Dakota. Hope you stay will have some good ex[eroemces amd memories, and not all bad ones.

[tijlover]

I would imagine that a number of people in ND, long ago, discovered that simplicity is a sure sign of maturity. That less is far more. I would guess a lot of wisdom in that state.

I'm surprised North Dakotans aren't getting on the New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago or Las Vegas forums, asking the question:
If you're among the majority of residents there who are working a minimum wage job, what do you do there for fun? Do you get awfully bored? You don't get depressed when walking down the streets and knowing you'll never be able to eat at one of those chic, fancy restaurants? Or be able to afford to go to the Opera or a nice Rock Concert? Or go to one of your fancy, chic shopping malls and leave there only with a pack of gum? Or see many of the fine expensive foreign imported cars on the streets and knowing that a monthly bus pass will always be your great luxury in life?

I used to have a cabin on 15 acres north of Minneapolis with no running water, no electricity, no telephone and a kerosene lamp in which to read some exciting book. As they say, reading is a form of travel.

A simple card game, a board game with neighbors, just the idea of it, the excitement of it, gets my blood pressure skyrocketing!

And get yourself a great pet for company, what more do you need!

When considering a place to retire some day, the places where people unanimously denounce as places with nothing to do, will head my list of retirement places.

[kittitas]

Like Normal Folks, We live our lives, We have children, we go to the grocery store, we take our kids to the pool, We go to church on Sunday, we have PTA, Scouts, and a lot of Horse activities. People live here and people die here.. Pretty much just like they do in any other part of the world. If you grew up here you do not need to be entertained. You will know how to entertain yourself. Hunting, Fishing, Snow Mobileing,Camping at the many lakes, Alot of folks have summer cabins. We have shopping malls, colleges, high school sports teams ect.. Night Life is pretty much like it is anywhere else. We have bars, you can get drunk, and you can dance. We have casinos for gambling. Movie Theaters But mostly the folks in North dakota spend their time just trying to be good neighbors..Everyone waves to you as you drive down North dakota Highways and its a 5 fingered wave not the kind you get in many places.. They don't push time schedules, they tell the time of day by the location of the sun, nothing is so important that they have to drive 90 mph to get there.. Like I said, they live life but not on the fast track! Its a wonderful place!

[geekychick]

Originally Posted by geekychick

Well from someone who has lived both lifestyles. Both a country girl and a city girl....

In the summer, we have BBQ's and invite friends over. We go to the lake and just listen to the silence and RELAX, READ and THINK (some fish). We go to lots of recreational ballgames. Saturday mornings you go to Flea Markets and Yard Sales ( we redecorate alot). Sometimes we head to the nearest big city for the weekend get a hotel, look at art, shop, party. If your in a really rural area.. one must experience a rodeo and the dance afterward. When I lived in a rural area... life was slower.. went to bed earlier... got up earlier....also had time for my own hobbies.
During the winter, we do winter sports, and have friends over for a game of cards and laughter. Movie night and board game night...

Guess you need to make some friends and start inviting them over....

Here I go..quoting myself (is this like talking to oneself??)

BTW, this is what small town farm girls from Kansas and Colorado do as well!

To the poster with a cabin, good book, .... what I would do to have that over a "opera ticket" any day!

[acfreema]

kittitas' post really romanticizes this area, i feel the need to clarify some of the misinformation. i'll address the points of contention in order

Originally Posted by kittitas

we take our kids to the pool, We go to church on Sunday, we have PTA, Scouts, and a lot of Horse activities.

1) not all of us have children, and the swimming portion of the year is short
2) not all of us are superstitious
3) if parents, the pta is a very small part of your life
4) again, not all of us have children
5) horses?! not realistic for 99% of the population

If you grew up here you do not need to be entertained. You will know how to entertain yourself. Hunting, Fishing, Snow Mobileing,Camping at the many lakes, Alot of folks have summer cabins.

6) that's correct, the television will do nicely
7) i can count the hunters i know on one hand
8) fishing is an option, if you can find a place
9) snow-mobiles are expensive and not a viable option for 90+% of people
10) camping is acceptable, but the lakes are very limited if one is not on the eastern side of the state
11) i don't know about you, but i have met three people with lake cabins, much of the population is too poor

Night Life is pretty much like it is anywhere else. We have bars, you can get drunk, and you can dance.

12) night life here IS NOT like many other places, we have get-dangerously-drunk places
13) dancing? you have obviously not recently visited any place with a dance floor, that's not dancing

But mostly the folks in North dakota spend their time just trying to be good neighbors..Everyone waves to you as you drive down North dakota Highways and its a 5 fingered wave not the kind you get in many places..

14) most of the people i know have never met their neighbors, except to say "keep your dog from defecating in my yard" (for the home-owners) or "turn down your music" (for the apartment dwellers)
15) the people who know you wave, strangers couldn't care less
16) i am concerned, suspicious, and confused when strangers gesture at me

They don't push time schedules, they tell the time of day by the location of the sun, nothing is so important that they have to drive 90 mph to get there..

17) i'm pretty sure i've witnessed people receiving mandatory disciplinary action because they can't get to work on time
18) seriously? there are places where people do this?
19) you must not drive very much. i get obscene gestures, honking, angry glares, and aggressive tail-gaters when i drive the posted speed limit

Like I said, they live life but not on the fast track! Its a wonderful place!

care to tell us how you know all this about north dakota when you live in washington? you posted your zip code as "98926"

kittitas, if you're going from your memory of life in beulah or grandin, you are sadly mistaken about much of the rest of the state. it is clear from your description that you were part of an affluent, rural family, not part of the upper-lower class (which comprises most of the population).

dare i criticize the pathetic grammar and punctuation?
blah blah blah capitalization blah blah
capitalization is a waste when not preparing documents for job-related or educational institution publication, punctuation and grammar are imperative!

[gearedtowardssalad]

I can understand why couples that want to start a family would move to ND but it's not a place for young people. Everyone that I have known who is in their early 20's from ND has spent their whole life wanting out. Just saying.

[TravisW]

Once again: WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?

It's very simple, isn't it?

[ChrisC]

Originally Posted by TravisW

Once again: WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?

It's very simple, isn't it?

I don't think they know what they want to do (other than complain about being twenty-something with nothing to do).

Wish I were twenty-something with nothing to do. It would take about two seconds to find something to do... and it would be so much easier to do at that age!