Now I’ll be honest here I’m absolutely terrified of living alone. Throw in natural disasters and that my body is sensitive to super hot climates. Living some places could be difficult for when I’m older. Let’s say that maybe a lot of people will say I’m being too dramatic that could be true. If it’s 75 degrees Fahrenheit or higher though, I will be full of sweat like a politician hooked to a lie detecting cattle prod. See, those three factors already weigh in on where I want to live. Being alone means no family and friends. I, need my family to help me with decision making, which is irony, huh? As a huge major life choice that will probably affect my life forever, I would choose to stay and live in Minnesota for when I grow old. These reasons being from most to least important, I grew up here and my family and friends are here. Two, I am deathly afraid of natural disasters. Of course, three, climates.
   

Growing up in Minnesota I would say is probably the best thing ever. But imagine, in an alternate universe I grew up in somewhere like California and thought that was the best place ever to live. Which I think is false and would probably never, ever happen. Not only is it because of my family and friends are here, it’s just by being so familiar with this place. The Cannon River is probably the most refreshing place to be during the summer, I may not know the Cannon River as well in other places and that it’s always changing, but when I go swimming I can name almost where every drop off is There is even this huge rock my friends and I would fight over. It’s perfect. Nature too, I’m so acquainted with being outside. Whether it be horseback riding or hiking with my dog. The woods, in my opinion, would count as a friend. The natural hills are here. The tree diversity is so unique, which is much better than living somewhere flat like South Dakota. My family and friends mean so much to me, they’re always on my mind with everything I decide. I could never leave them, especially being since most of my family lives here. We have a few family members out of state and sometimes they don’t make it here or don’t make it to a funeral. Honestly, that is a load of bollocks. Especially if they don’t make it to a funeral of a family member. I never want to be like that. Not only those reasonings, I know my surroundings. If I moved somewhere else, I wouldn’t know my surroundings for years and years. It’s just not who I am, living somewhere else. Speaking of being alone and major fears. A huge biggest fear of mine is natural disasters.

A huge natural disaster would be hurricanes or tsunamis. Which is weird since I love water. But it is not just water, it’s water and wind. For a tsunami, it would also be a plate sliding against another plate underground. (Thank you, Schopp, for teaching me that.) Facing facts, I wouldn’t want to drown, ever. Just the thought of something or someone suffocating me terrifies me. How awful it would be knowing you’re gonna die and basically staring death in its face. The struggle would probably kill me alone if the panic doesn’t. Shudders would go down my back by the mere thought of anything in that nature. Now hurricanes would never happen in a place like Minnesota, and tornadoes (or huge massive tornadoes, the F5 tornadoes, or the “big daddies”) barely ever happens. I did my research and maybe there is a bit of tornado history here, but not a ton like Oklahoma or somewhere in “Tornado Alley”. Speaking of Tornado Alley, I will never live there. Ever. Even knowing I will probably be a responsible adult by the age of 21. Natural disasters still will scare me. Tornado Alley takes up a lot of the states too. So it’s not a good place for me. Especially since I freak out at the slightest thunder and lightning. Even though my mom sleeps more like a baby during them. I’m more of a baby crying because the “big boom” scared me. Now Minnesota doesn’t have that many natural disasters here, and not a lot of stuff actually happens here. Especially where I live, besides the flood of 2012 where it rained for almost three days. (I thought it would never ever end raining.) Natural disasters aren’t just a pop-up thing. In making those things happen you need a Goldilocks climate, for certain natural disasters.

Climate to me is the least important but important nonetheless. Not only does it determine what I would wear for the day but it determines the weather too. I never like places that are always super hot, super humid, or super cold. To the point where you could freeze your fingertips off. No, my body can be in shorts and a t-shirt during temps like thirties. Anything above seventy-five degrees, no. You might not see me until the temperature drops. I cannot be in super hot climates it’s not for me and never will be. Now what would be amazing is somewhere where rained all the time (with no thunder or lightning or tornadoes) and it would be forty degrees Fahrenheit. That is what I would call perfect. Sadly I haven't found a place like that, but that is okay. A place I could live in forever. Minnesota is one of the closest I’m ever going to get through. It’s what I would call “Goldilocks climate” for myself. It means, that there is a mix of every climate. In this climate, it doesn’t have a lot of those hot and cold factors mixing so not that many tornadoes, yay. In all reality, Minnesota is amazing, it gets hot and freezing cold but it doesn’t stay the same for a long period of time. I could end up swimming in the river, and go snow tubing in the same month, depending on the temperatures. Climate is just confusing to me about it being so different.
   

Family/friends, natural disasters, and climate will almost always weigh in on where I go or where I live/stay. I’ve grown here. I’ve experienced a lot of natural disasters here (small ones though but none that will terrify me to the end of me running away with a tail between my leg.) The climate here is just utterly perfect for me.

Minnesota maybe would change when I’m in college, but for now, I hope and think I will stay here until “death does us part”. Who wants to be alone anyways, this is also where my friends and families stay. Why would I talk about myself/Minnesota being the best state? Maybe because it’s part of the assignment? No, because it’s a passionate topic to me. Where I stay is passionate to me, it means a lot. The choices I make mean maybe way too much. Being honest again, I don’t think anyone is going to change my decision. Friends have talked to me about traveling the states, and I always say, “Sure, great idea!”. No. I do not think it’s a great idea. The dangers of anything happening is real. Maybe I’m that kind of freak that is scared of anything. It’s true and probably always will be. Why I will always stay in Minnesota is because I know what I’m comfortable with. I’m comfortable here.