Posted in North Dakota
March 16, 2017
13 Things You Quickly Learn When You Move To North Dakota
Unless you’re moving just a few miles across the border from another state, living in North Dakota might take some getting used to. There’s no need to worry; you’ll get used to it pretty fast once you start learning the ropes. Here are 13 things that you will probably pick up not long after you move here:
Even though many people outside of North Dakota think everything is covered in snow all the time here, it isn't. We do get a summer, and not only that but it gets as hot and humid as some southern states.
Some years we don't even get that much snow, but pretty much every year we'll get winds blasting at crazy speeds, and at temperatures well below zero.
Deer, raccoons, skunks, pheasants - you name it. At some point you're probably going to encounter some of these on the road here.
There is no denying North Dakota's love of hotdish. And don't you dare call it a casserole!
There are people who would say a more level landscape that doesn't have tons of trees or mountains is a bad thing, but I would say that just gives us a better view of the beautiful sky everyone else is missing out on.
It can get a little congested in the biggest cities during rush hour, but compared to other places that get bumper to bumper traffic that takes over an hour to get through, we've got it pretty easy. North Dakota even has one of the shortest average commute times statistically.
Green and yellow or green and black, either way, we love our college football and hockey at NDSU and UND.
Be prepared to see quite a few bugs, such as box elders or asian lady beetles, trying to get in your house when winter comes around while they look for a place to hibernate. It's just a part of living in North Dakota!
No matter how ready you are for winter to end, don't get your hopes up if it starts to get warm in late winter, because it's probably not over. It could be getting up into the 40s and 50s one week, then followed by drops back into the teens and snow the next.
From people who think the movie Fargo was an accurate representation to others who think our state doesn't exist, you're going to run in to this once in a while. Especially if the people you knew aren't from the midwest, they probably associate any "Dakota" with a certain famous carved mountain. At least from my personal experience, I have to explain often that no, I don't live near Mt. Rushmore - I've never even been there!
A majority of North Dakotans are descended from Germans, Russians and Scandinavians, and their families have passed down foods from those places that we love today. From lefse to kuchen, it is a great part of living here!
Bison are not easy to spot in the eastern regions, and still aren't super common in the central or west regions either. We may be known for bison but don't expect many strolling through your backyard!
Even though you may be moving here from thousands of miles away, people in North Dakota are generally pretty nice and welcoming!
Did you move to North Dakota from somewhere else? What are some other things you learned after you moved here that you would add to this list?
There are more interesting and sometimes quirky parts of North Dakota you may come to know after living here for a while, like these 10 weird things only North Dakotans do.
